As long as it is called Today...

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Hebrews 3:13

For the past two weeks various members of my church have been meeting at the alter three times daily to pray for our short-term mission team which was in Senegal, West Africa. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life.

I am surprised at how saddened I am to see this time coming to an end. I have made acquaintances through this process, and old acquaintances have become dear friends. When you pray with someone daily, an incredible bond is built between you - one that transcends any other friendship this world can offer. You truly do begin to see each other as brothers and sisters!

To the ones that have been there with me, I love you all deeply. I wholly subscribe to what the writer of Hebrews stated in the passage above. It is difficult to allow your heart be hardened when you are being encouraged daily by your brothers and sisters in Christ. It's not the American way to give your time so you can meet with others, but it is God's way. There is oftentimes nothing convenient about God's will or His work.

I have spent time in the Book of Acts of late because I love to contrast and compare that account of the mighty move of God with what happens among us every time we send out an overseas team. One concept from that book keeps striking me again and again, recounting the daily lives of the early church:

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:46-47

For the past two weeks, we have met every day in the "temple" courts. We have been together with glad and sincere hearts. I have to believe it wouldn't take long before the unchurched around us would take notice and we would begin to enjoy favor with them, and perhaps the Lord would add to our number daily those who are being saved!

Lord-

I know that you have ordained that we meet together for these two weeks. I know that I know you have called us to this task. Let us not now let down our guard and go back to where we were, but let us encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of us my be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.