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I have been thinking about family. It is the holidays, or it is that the earth itself is pointing to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. It drives me to work at keeping up relationships. You can invest in people, and they can choose not to respond. You can invite and invite and invite and do and do and do, but at some point-they must make the move to let you know they enjoy being with you. If not, then you know you must move on to those that will receive it: yes, or no? Last week we learned that Jesus kept the main thing-the main thing. As humans, I think it’s a harder lesson for us to learn.

The Word explains, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; Second let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)

Looking at “not forsaking” in the scripture. I thought about God. The very God that created us and the Universe, also does not forsake us. “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6); “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19,20) In Deuteronomy the strength and courage would come from Israel knowing that God was with them. The New Testament scripture, Matthew, is Jesus reminding us that He is always with us. He is and will be with us forever.

As a Christ Follower, I look at God and these scriptures. I see something incredible. God himself thought this being together thing was so important that he decided to make a way for us to do it. He desires so much to be with us that he sent his one and only son to be a living sacrifice so that we can be with him, so we can all be together and for all eternity! In Hebrews we see that some have a “habit” of forsaking the assembly. This week reach out to them with a phone call, a card, text, lunch, game night-you get the idea. Remind them that God is with “us.”

Yvette Perrin can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.