Gathered or Assembled?

“. . . . you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5 (also Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:16)

Our pastor has mentioned several times that as a body of believers, we are not just a “gathering” but we are an “assembly.” This was illustrated to me on one of my walks.

Just up the road where I usually walk, there had been some work done on a dirt road to prepare it for heavy trucks and equipment to use. The road had been bladed down several inches and filled with rocks—lots of jagged, rough rocks of all sizes. It had been very dry and as the trucks drove over the road, the rocks rolled against each other and the surface was very uneven and bumpy. Then it rained for about 2 weeks—the ground became very soft under the rocks as the trucks continued to drive over them.

As the weather cleared and I was able to get back out to walk again, I was amazed to see that the road had become like a paved surface. Those “gathered” rocks were now “assembled.” It took the combination of the rain (like God’s Spirit raining down on us to soften our hearts) and the pressure from the heavy trucks (like the trials and tribulations we all experience in the world) to accomplish this. The rocks just submitted to it all.

Just like the road, our usefulness as an “assembly” is pleasant and functional. It also took each and every differently sized and shaped rock to create such a complete mosaic. That is like each of us in the body of Christ, unique and gifted in different ways to supply a specific need. Then even in the dry times we can still remain “jointly fit together” rather than being abrasive to one another—truly a work of the Spirit!

Lord, I purpose to be submissive to You and to the circumstances You allow in my life so that I can be a blessing to You, and a witness of the good work You have started in me and have promised to complete.