"The Christian’s Gas Station"

Scripture: “ … strength and glory are in his sanctuary.” –Psalms 96:6b, NIV

My brothers and my sisters, we have ALL reached a point during our driving where a sound or detector goes off in our car to say you need gas. There are times where we misjudge a distance and think we have enough gas to make it. When the sound/light/detector goes off, we are looking for the next available gas station. If we are fortunate, a gas station is not too far from where we are driving. On the other hand, there are times where we drive and drive and drive until we are blessed to find one and just made it in the nick of time. Once we reach the gas station and put gas in our cars, we are ready to roll. In the spiritual sense, there are times and seasons within our lives where we need a “gas station”. There are times where you will get tapped out from the cares of this world. There are times where you will get emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained from the workplace, the home, marriage, relationships, and other things. I am encouraged today because God has a place where we can go and fill up on His gas! Let’s take a look at today’s text to find out the location of our gas station.

Today’s message brings us to the longest book in the Bible, Psalms. Within its 96^th chapter or division of Psalms, we find the author discussing two big things. The first thing he discusses is a call to all people to praise the Lord (verses 1 – 9). The other thing the author discusses is God’s government and judgment (verses 10 – 13). Within the author’s discussion of the call to all people to praise the Lord is where we find out the location of our “gas station”.

As we journey into our main scripture, we find the kind of “gas” we can get from our “gas station”. The author mentions that at our “gas station” is strength. How many times do we as men and women of God get tired? How many times have we lost our zeal and energy because of this world and the people the enemy uses to deflate us? Aren’t you glad to know that God is there to provide you strength! Aren’t you glad to know that the joy of the Lord is your strength! Aren’t you glad to know that through Christ that strengthens you, you can do all things! As He strengthens you, He provides emotional strength! He provides financial strength! He provides spiritual strength! You’ll never know what kind of strength He can provide unless you make it to your “gas station”! The text reveals also that at this “gas station”, you will find His glory!! When you have the Glory of God going on, His blessings rain all over the place! His love rains all over the place! His mercy rains all over the place! His anointing rains all over the place! Don’t you want to be where the Glory of God is? Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, freedom, happiness, joy, and all of those other things! Don’t you want to feel it?

The author concludes this scripture by letting us know where our “gas station” is located. He tells us that the strength of God and the glory of God are in “His sanctuary”. Brothers and sisters, we often find people who have accepted Christ in the free pardon of their sins and said that they do not need to be a part of the church. However, I am convinced today that just as sure as we need to be in God’s sanctuary, so do they! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you find unity amongst your brothers and sisters (Psalms 133)! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you find solace for your soul! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you find clarity to the matters of this life! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you receive revelation through the preached Word of God! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you receive healing from your soul’s diseases! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you can come there and re-fuel in order to make it through the weeks and the days! When you are in God’s sanctuary, you can get the “unleaded”, “mid-grade”, or “premium” gas and these gases depend on how much praise you give God! If you just want the norm, then give God a normal praise! If you want the mid-grade level, then give God a mid-grade praise! However, if you want the premium level, you ought to give God a “premium” praise! When you are in God’s sanctuary, your mind ought to sing this: When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah, I thank God for saving me! Aren’t you glad that He saved you? Aren’t you glad that He has provided a place where you can receive gas for the cars known as your spiritual beings? If you glad, give Him a praise!

In closing, I am thankful for gas stations. They are pretty much everywhere and anywhere you go and yet, they provide you with the gas to sustain your vehicles. In the same light, I am truly thankful for God’s sanctuary, God’s house, God’s church, where I can receive strength (gas) and share in His Glory! If you have not made a trip to the “gas station”, I suggest you make time to go and get fueled up because if not, you are going to run on E!