1 Chronicles 13:2-3
And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and from the LORD our God, let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in all the lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may be gathered to us. 3 Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.”
There are good and bad gatherings and there is good and bad unity. For an example of bad in both, you need look no further than the Nazi rallies in Nuremberg and other places in 1930’s Germany. They were well intended and they were of one mind. Under King Saul, Israel was largely united against the Philistines and were gathered together in unity. But something was slightly off. They were ignoring their God and running on their own power. It was exemplified at the top. Saul made his own decisions. David enquired of the Lord.
That was the biggest difference between the two and it is reflected in Saul’s failure and David’s status of man after God’s own heart. Now let’s look at the churches around us. Many of them resemble corporations. They are united and organized. They gather together in literally their tens of thousands. But as we see in the headlines, they fail in the end because they did not seek the presence of the Lord. Their leaders fall in sin because of their own decisions, not God’s. Seek first his kingdom.
Dear Lord, thank you for adding blessing upon blessing to those who seek you. Help us to cling to your will once we have been found by you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.