I was getting ready to go over to my daughter’s place to hang out and have lunch together with her. Whenever I go over to my daughter’s place, I always take the “YAY” bag … which always has some sort of fun surprise!
I had decided the perfect treat for the “YAY” bag would be fresh raspberries from the garden, and a few zucchinis. I bet my daughter would really enjoy making zucchini noodles.
But … I was a bit cautious to go out to the garden to pick the berries and gather the zucchini … because the big bear had just been out there around that exact same time the morning before.
I was standing at the kitchen sink doing the dishes when I heard the landscapers show up at our neighbor’s place next door. Oh that’s right! The landscapers always come this day every week! That’s my chance to go out to the garden.
With all the noise and insanity of mowing and blowing going on, that should afford me the opportunity to go gather some berries and zucchinis without running into the bear (if it should happen to be nearby).
So out I went to the garden, to gather goodies for the “YAY” bag!
TaDa!!
The landscapers finished and left.
One hour later, the Ring notification went off on my phone … right around the time I should have been leaving. (but I was running late)
It’s a good thing I was running late!!
The big bear lumbered along down the driveway, with the adolescent bear lolloping along at a respectful distance behind.
TWO!! I have never seen two bears at the same time before!
I was already running late getting gone for my daughter’s place. This for sure made me even later! I stopped everything and watched the bears for a bit.
They meandered this way.
The moseyed that way.
They disappeared into the bushes … as if they were going over to our neighbor’s.
The adolescent bear definitely had more youthful enthusiasm, as it seemed to really enjoy loping and lolloping around!
I had expected them to eventually wind up over at the plum tree … but instead, they both headed back down the driveway … with the adolescent bear making sure to maintain that respectful distance behind its elder.
The verse which popped into my mind as I finished getting ready and left to go spend the day with my daughter was this:
“For where two or three gather together in my name, there am I with them.” – Matthew 18:20
It was amazing watching the one big bear the day before having a good back scratch against the apple tree. There was power present with the presence of that big bear!
But the dynamic was increased exponentially when there were TWO! With two bears around, there was the very real, very felt presence of even more power!
The spiritual application God gave me was this:
When we meet personally and privately with God, there is power! Like the power of the presence of the one big bear!
God wants us to spend time with Him! God wants us to personally read the Bible to hear from Him! When we read the Bible, the Holy Spirit is present with power to illuminate our understanding and make clear to us what we are reading.
When we meet with God privately, the Holy Spirit moves in power to change our hearts and our minds to make us more like Jesus! When we spend time with God in prayer, there is power!
But … when we gather together with other Christians to worship God and to read the Bible together … the dynamic of power is exponentially increased!! Just like with the two bears around, there was the very real, very felt presence of even more power!!
God tells us: “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)
Some people feel that they do not need to gather together with other Christians at church. After all, they are being fed spiritually via online sermons, from godly preachers.
Yes … there is power in meeting with God personally and privately.
But, God commands and instructs us to meet with other believers corporately … because there is even greater power!! The presence of God shows up in an even greater way! The power of God is revealed in an even greater way!
Just like there was the very real, very felt presence of power when two bears were together … so also, spiritually there is the very real, very felt presence of even greater power when believers gather and worship together!
“Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
