Staying Close to God when Away from His People

These past two weeks have been very strange. Without church, and with substantially less interaction with my church family than perhaps ever in my life, I have been impressed by the truth of how this time in partial seclusion really highlights the fact that Christianity is a personal relationship, not dependent upon routine or ritual to feed or nurture it. We are fed and nurtured by the Holy Spirit through God's Word and by communion with God in prayer. Since our relationship with God is not dependent upon church attendance or fellowship with others, it is possible to thrive spiritually, even while longing for fellowship with other Christians. 

Of course, we are not to "forsake the assembling of ourselves together", as Hebrews 10:25 states, but when necessity prevents us from gathering, it is amazing to me just how much we can end up flourishing in our relationship with God, as long as we choose to stay close to Him.

Last week, I was reading in Joshua 22, and was struck by the thought that our situation is not altogether new. Here's the passage that stuck out to me:

"Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you: 

Ye have not left your bretheren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God.

And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your bretheren, as He promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan.

But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents."

Joshua 22:1-6

The men from the tribes of Reuben and Gad, had asked for lands across the Jordan river from where everyone else was to settle. You can read about their request, and their interchange with Moses over it in Numbers 32. Basically, the deal was, they (and apparently half of the tribe of Manasseh, as well,) were to be allowed to settle west of the Jordan, but only on the condition that the men would go with the rest of Israel and assist the other tribes in taking the Promised Land.  

Once the tribes were basically settled in their lands, Joshua dismissed them, with the words of the passage above. The men from these tribes had been faithful to their word. They had risked life and limb to claim a land they would not inherit --apparently without complaint. Now it was time for them to return to their own lands. They had the honor of being found faithful, and were returning home in the joy of both victory and proven character, not to mention the commendation of their leader. 

But now the most difficult work was before them. Joshua charged them: "But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." (22:5)

They were heading towards home, ye, and it was a well-deserved reward for their labors to be able to return to their families and begin to build a "normal" life, but in heading towards home, they were heading away from their spiritual leadership, their place of worship, and the accountability of their fellow Israelites.

They were going with permission, even blessing, but also in the understanding that theirs would be a more challenging task; it would take diligence and great effort for them to do those things which were commanded of the Israelites. They would have to cross a river to get to where the tabernacle was when they needed to make offerings or celebrate the feasts. It would take extra effort to remain diligent and faithful without the accountability of the other tribes.

Perhaps the application of this passage has already stood out to you as it did to me: Just like these two and a half tribes, we are at home, with permission (perhaps even compulsion) from our authorities. The reason for the separation is different, but the principle remains the same: In being at home, away from the assembly of our fellow believers, we face the same challenges as these tribes. We face having to make an extra effort in getting our offerings in, we face the temptations that come with diminished accountability, and we face the great responsibility to remain faithful --even to grow and flourish-- apart from some aspects of the Christian life that provide accountability and encouragement.  

So as we face this time of being apart from our assembly of believers, may we do as Joshua charged: May we take diligent heed to obey God's word, to love God, to walk in all His ways, and to keep all His commandments, cleaving to Him, serving Him with all our heart and with all our soul.