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Today's Devotional

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them—Matthew 18:20 (ESV).

We cross sea and land to visit the holy places. We exult to look upon the wretched city that bears the name of the place where Christ was condemned to death. We say, “This stream he crossed, this mountain he stood upon, this valley he traversed, this shore he visited, in this town he was born, in this place he was brought up” …. But the question, “Where is Christ to be found now” is far more important than the question, where he once was. “The world seeth me no more, and thinketh of me in the past, but ye see me. The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father; but when true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” The little companies that come together in upper chambers and by-places, in the name of Christ, remembering his promises, seeking his presence, cherishing his spirit, honoring his word—in these little companies Christ is to be found.

Is it possible that any one should be a lover of Christ and not a lover of these assemblies? That they should be a weariness to the world, we can understand. But alas! there are thousands who profess to be his, who never dream of frequenting these meetings of believers, held in honor of Christ, for communion with Christ.…

If Christ be in these assemblies, then are they the true centers from whence the mightiest influences flow abroad over the world. Divine wisdom, truth, power and love, must be added to the folly, weakness, ignorance, erringness, of the two or three that meet in his name, in order that we may form a just estimate of the moral value of these meetings. Some of the grandest revolutions in society have their origin here.

About the author and the source

While a young man, George Bowen (1816–1888) became an infidel. After eleven years feeding his mind with atheist literature, he was deeply impressed by the joy he saw in a young woman who discovered Christ on her deathbed. He prayed that God, if God existed, would show him what to do. Shortly afterward, a librarian gave him William Paley’s Evidences by mistake—he had requested another book. After reading a little, he was arrested by the power of Paley’s argument and finished the book. His arguments against Christianity crumbled and he yielded to Christ, renouncing his wealth and becoming a missionary in Bombay, where he lived in utter dependence on God.