Who ever said, "a stitch in time saves nine," was a pretty good observer of life. Prevention is often better than redemption. Redemption would not be necessary if sin could be prevented. Each of us would live much better if we avoided a lot of the things that cause us harm and misery.

    Take the person who drinks a little wine or beer at times. I have never known any "moderate drinker" who didn't some time or another, get a little too much. What starts as some times, becomes an all time habit. It proves the point that the best way to stay sober is to stay away from intoxicants.

    This is the basic thrust of I Thess. 5:22. "Abstain from all appearance of evil." This principle applies to lots of things. Consider the opportunities we have to assemble with the Lord and His people. At least three times a week we can be together in an assembly of the saints. It may not be a big gathering. It might not have much social or entertaining activity, but it is the most valuable association provided for humans on this earth.

    Yet some of us miss an assembly here and there, now and then. With some, it gets to be a sort of routine. Missing a Bible class on Sunday, now and then, grows into a regular forsaking of Bible classes on Sunday. Then the same things begins on Sunday evening, then Wednesday night, and that leads to a "Sunday morning" only (now and then) attender.

    In the face of this we should remind self that God doesn't feel good about those who abandon His assemblies (Heb. 10:25). I realize that abandon is a strong term, but so is drunkenness. Just like a now and then drinker will, some time or other get drunk, some time or another this and then attender will quit the church.

    That little phrase, "a stitch in time, saves nine," is purely true. When applied to our duty to attend services of the church, the stitch in time is to avoid missing the first one -- and the way to never miss any services of the church is to attend them all.

    Situations rise, now and then, when people feel they cannot attend regularly. Haven't we all made reference to the "Ox in the ditch'? Some times the ox may have been given a gentle shove toward the ditch, but granted, some times we do have things that prevent us from attending.

    One of the best pieces of advice I ever got from a man of great respect was, when you think the ox is in the ditch either sell the ox or fill the ditch. I need to fill some ditches and sell a few oxen before I let things of this life keep me from being where I ought to be when the saints gather to worship God, do his work, and study his word.

    Somewhere I read some awfully good advice that caps off this little article right well. It is always better to build a fence at the top of the cliff than to keep an ambulance down in the valley."