By
Shelby G. Floyd
David, the second king of Israel wrote most of the Psalms. These Psalms indicate that David was a very spiritually minded man of God. For example he wrote:
Psalms 122: 1
I was glad when they said to me,
"Let us go into the house of the LORD."
NKJV
David was glad when someone said, "Let us go into the house of the Lord." Some today may be sad or even mad, instead of glad, when it is time to go into the house of the Lord.
For Christians "the house of the Lord" is "the church of the living God" (1 Timothy 3:15). We should be glad to be present with the assembled people of God. If our hearts are filled with gladness we will enthusiastically join our brothers and sisters in regularly stated worship. How can we be glad if our seat is empty at worship about half the time?
It is very difficult to build up the local congregation unless every member is interested in doing so. Today, as it always has been, some are zealous for the Lord's cause while others are lukewarm (Revelation 3:14-16). We must encourage each other to be zealous for knowledge and the work of seeking and saving the lost:
Romans 10:1-2
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
NKJV
Zeal is enthusiasm. Enthusiasm means that we are on fire for the Lord because God is in us. Nothing worthwhile was ever accomplished without enthusiasm. The greatest work we can do is to work for the Lord during our short pilgrimage on the earth. "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV). When we zealously devote ourselves our work will never be in vain.
The early Christians were called "devotees" because they were fully devoted to the cause of Christ: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). Let us all be so devoted that we will be glad to go to the house of the Lord.
Shelby G. Floyd, Minister, Heartland Church of Christ, 1693 West Main Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142
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