Regathering can be defined as to gather again or anew. To bring someone or something together once more. To summon up again (as in courage or strength). To reunite. To reconsolidate. To merge. To prepare to make a great effort again to be strong. To prepare oneself to continue doing something difficult. To collect several things from different places, for a second, third, or more times, etc.
The Bible tells us that there are different times and seasons in human life. Notably amongst those times and seasons are: times of birth and death; times of planting and harvesting; times of casting away and regathering, etc.
After His baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, Jesus started His ministry alone (Mt. 4:1-10). Following after this experience, Jesus began to gather together a team who would assist Him with His divine mandate. He selected a team of twelve men who would be with Him wherever He went (Mk. 3:13-19).
When Jesus earthly assignment was coming to an end, Judas – one of those twelve men betrayed Him and sold Him to the elders of Israel, thinking that Jesus would escape, not knowing that he was fulfilling the scriptures. He was to later commit suicide (Mt. 27:3-5).
When Jesus was arrested and was being tried, while few of His disciples stood with Him (especially John the Beloved), the other remaining ten men deserted Him, Peter even vowed that he never knew Jesus before (Mk. 14:66-72).
Jesus was later crucified. He died and was buried. He however rose from the dead the third day. After His resurrection, Jesus commenced the ministry of regathering of His disciples. When He appeared to His lead disciples for the first time, ten of them were present, except Thomas Didymus. Jesus had to revisit them again to complete the regathering of the whole first eleven men, as this would be very crucial to their testimony in the future (John 20:19-29).
Before Jesus finally returned back to heaven, He asked all His disciples to regather in Galilee, so He could further strengthen the regathering exercise (Mt. 28:1-10). It was on the basis of these regathering efforts of Jesus Christ that the Early Church was birthed and empowered to take the whole world by storm, otherwise, the sacrifice of Jesus would have been wasted (Mk. 16: 14-20).
God has again impressed it upon my spirit that He will surely assist us with the regathering efforts required in our personal lives, within our families and in the church this year. He will help us to regather ‘stones’ that have been casted away by physical or spiritual forces. He will assist us to regather ‘stones’ casted away by self and external forces. He asked that ‘stones’ that will humble themselves as the Prodigal Son are to be regathered. Humbling ‘stones’ that are at the verge of being lost are to also be regathered. There are still opportunities for such ‘stones’ in God’s kingdom agenda, only if they will humble themselves. Resources that have been mistakenly or ignorantly casted away shall also be regathered and polished for reuse. Potential resources that are not yet known shall be revealed and put to beneficial use.
May God assist us as we seek to carry out this assignment throughout the year in Jesus mighty name.