We dedicate Sunday mornings to drawing near to the heart of God.
My family and I attend a traditional church service in which a large proportion of the small congregation is over sixty. There is so much life and spiritual wisdom here that it makes my heart sing.
Even my young adult children love our church. Children who strongly supported choosing this church service because they love the richness these people bring into their lives.
A Church by Any Other Name
And by church, I mainly mean the people. People who invest in them, who call upon them to serve and work hard. People who expect more from them than they often expect from themselves.
I love this service because it speaks to my heart. It reminds me of the church I grew up in, with a similarly aged congregation and traditional hymns.
I remember those voices from my past; prayer warriors, bible teachers, church secretaries, historians and pastors, many of whom have gone home to glory. People who loved the LORD.
Last Sunday a gentleman sang, “Near to the Heart of God.” His voice sometimes cracks and emotions well up until tears fall. Moments like this provide a glimpse of heaven. Where we will all sing and shout the victory!
There is a place of quiet rest,
near to the heart of God,
a place where sin cannot molest,
near to the heart of God…
There is a place of comfort sweet,
near to the heart of God,
a place where we our Savior meet,
near to the heart of God.
-Cleland Boyd McAfee
A place of comfort. People we love. And surrounded by the Spirit.
There is so much to be learned from those who have walked this life ahead of us. Those who loved the Lord all their lives, and those who met him late. Life has new meaning as it nears the end.
My prayer is for each of you to find a place of quiet rest where you draw nearer to God. Because some day, we will all stand before Him.
Do you have a place of comfort sweet? A place where you feel close to God Or perhaps sense a glimpse of heaven?
