8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. - Romans 1:8-12 (ESV)
We are now in the 4th month of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Slowly easing out and carefully moving about. It has been a strange and disturbing time of isolation for us - unable to enjoy the face-to-face contact we previously enjoyed with friends and family.
As leaders of Precept Bible studies, you may not have been able to continue meeting or you may have moved your studies online. It’s good but not the same as being together.
Like Paul, in the first chapter of his letter to the Roman believers, we long to see our friends face to face. Let’s look at his example from the Word of God to see how God can encourage us and help us to endure in these times.
The first thing Paul does is thank God for the faith and witness of the Roman believers. They are living the gospel as God’s servants, just like him. Let’s remember to thank God, first and foremost, for the students in our classes as they witness for Jesus Christ in their everyday lives.
Paul then tells them of his unceasing prayers for them. Shouldn’t we be doing the same?! - lifting each person before God for His will to be done in their lives!
He also prays that, by the will of God, he may be able to see them face to face. What reasons does he give?
- He longs to impart some spiritual gift to them so that they may be strengthened. He wants to spend time looking at God’s Word with them, to hear from God, and so to establish them further in the truth.
- He wants to be encouraged, along with them, by each other’s faith. This is the result of being in fellowship with other believers.
We may have to be isolated from our groups for a while yet, but let us be encouraged to thank God for each other, to unceasingly pray for each other, and to pray that it may be His will that we will be together in fellowship again soon!