Gathering to Meet the Lord Himself - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.
Matthew 18:20

Gathering to Meet the Lord Himself
Well do I remember the exceeding goodness of God in leading me, many years ago, to know the blessed reality of what I now write. I had in some measure felt the sinfulness of sectarianism. I knew a great deal about what was wrong, but really had no knowledge of what was right. In this state I was led to witness a few Christians having met together in the name of the Lord Jesus to break bread, on the first day of the week; and against whom I had, in my ignorance, felt bitterly opposed. I entered the room where they had just assembled and were in solemn silence, waiting on God in worship. Naturally, I looked for the pulpit, and the man of the pulpit. There was no pulpit, and no pulpit man. I then looked for the president. There was no president to be seen. Never shall I forget the deep solemnity that fell on my soul, when I felt these people were gathered in reality to meet the Lord Himself. Never before had I thus felt the presence of God. The Holy Spirit had not gathered them to peculiar doctrines, or to some man, but to Jesus, the holy and the true, realizing the all-sufficiency of the Spirit to take of the things of Christ and to show them to them. It is impossible to express in words the unspeakable reality of this rest of the soul in the presence of God.

Let not the reader suppose that those whom the Lord has thus blessed think themselves better than others. Where all is known to be grace, the thought of “betterness” is an absurdity.

Ah, since then, what grace to me, and what cause for self-abhorrence! Yes, depths of mercy only known to God. But never once has there a doubt crossed my mind that this is the present most sure work of God. Never have I heard a sentence or read a line that has shaken my confidence.

C. Stanley