His disciplies were together

From something for tomorrow:

One of the great things about faith – and one of the great things about God for setting it up this way – is that faith is not just an individual experience but also a social experience. There’s a reason Jesus chose twelve disciples and not just one disciple. He knew they’d need to support each other as they followed Him, and as they dealt with the crucifixion. There’s a reason the young Christian church fellowshipped and worshiped and broke bread and prayed together. They persevered under persecution by leaning on one another. There’s a reason congregations are considered one extended family, and why small groups are effective. Because faith is designed not just to be an intimate relationship between an individual and God Almighty; it is also designed to be intimate relationships between brothers and sisters united together under the banner of Christ.

Pastor this morning has shown how God allows people to face impossible situations evident in the Red Sea Crossing, the fall of Jericho, and the trusting of Rahab. God often develops faith by putting faith to the test. But one of the great things about this God of ours is that these tests of faith aren’t always solo experiences; sometimes He allows these tests of faith to be collective experiences. God uses our innate need to share experiences as a means of supporting and developing faith as a body of believers.

Can you imagine how scary crossing a dry stretch of land that once was a seabed with towering walls of water to your sides is? How much easier would it be to have another’s hand to hold as you hurried across to the other side. Can you imagine how strange you might feel walking around a city on the hopes that impenetrable walls would collapse at the sound of a horn? How much easier would it be to laugh about the situation with a brother or sister as you trusted God and made that circular journey.