Monday, March 18, 2019

Daily Lesson for March 18, 2019

Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Romans chapter 1 verses 9 through 12:

9For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, 10asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. 11For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Week by week for three decades now my friend Kyle Childress has concluded each Sunday service of his church with the same benediction he first learned from the great African American church historian Vincent Harding:

“Let’s take each other’s hands . . .  Now look at who you’re holding hands with, and hold on tight!  Because we’re going to need each other this week.”

He then concludes with the traditional Aaronic blessing, “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

“We’re going to need each other this week.”  What a powerful statement. We need each other. We need each other to for encouragement. We need each other for protection. We need each other hope. My word, in these days we need each other just for sanity. 

It’s not good for us to be alone. It wasn’t in the Garden and it definitely isn’t now. We’ve got to find each other. We’ve got to stick close. We’ve got to watch out after one another. We’ve got to encourage and hold on to one another. 

Where are the people you need right now for the sake of sanity and maybe even survival?  Find them.  Take their hands. Look at them and let them look at you. Covenant together. Covenant to stick together like blood brothers. Hold their hands; and hold on tight; because you’re going to need each other.


We’re all going to need each other this very week. 

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