2003-07-24 - Homesick

Encore 1996-10-10

John 14:1 - Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. [2] In My Father's are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. [4] And you know the way where I am going. [5] Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going, how do we know the way?" [6] Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

It has been a long hard day, week, month, year... well, when you get right down to it, as Twila Paris says, "Life is hard, but God is good." Life is hard. Job says that man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. We are born in trauma, we live day to day finding the best way through and the lessons from our trials. The world rails on us; friends let us down. The enemy schemes against us, and our own flesh betrays us. Our final trial takes us into the arms of Jesus. He has promised to receive us to Himself. Think of that. Each one that knows Him, He will greet and lead to Heaven. In difficult times, it is very easy to get down, or to think of our home as far away. Jesus told Pilot that His Kingdom is not of this world, and neither are we. We are in the world, but not of it. It no longer has any claim to us or to our hearts.

God is good. Look at the first words from this section. Let not your heart be troubled. Jesus is always concerned for us, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. How many times did He tell the apostles to be at peace, or rest in Him? The first words Jesus says to the disciples after His resurrection were "Fear not, it is I." His first words to Mary Magdalene in the garden that first Resurrection Day morning were, "Woman, why are you weeping?" He knows our hearts just as He knows the hearts of Mary, Matthew, Mark, Peter and every other blood-bought child of His, including you and me.

In that time that seems so dark, turn to Jesus and let Him bring to your mind the wondrous things He is preparing for us. He has walked the path and marked the way so we can follow. At the end of that path is a city of such staggering beauty that human words fail to properly describe it. The dwellings, by some fairly conservative estimates, could be as much as 80 cubic acres of the New Jerusalem. I will be happy with whatever He has made for me. Knowing how much love Jesus has already displayed, that is not a huge step of faith. Streets paved with pure gold, and foundation stones of dimension and unspeakable beauty. All of this will be centered around and lit by the glory of God the Father and the Lamb.

So, now you may still be homesick, but at least it is the happy kind of homesick. The best part of any trip is getting home. We have yet to imagine what home will be like for us. Except that it comes from the limitless imagination of the One who created us and loves us most. Homesick anyone?

Grace & Peace,
Mike

mhoskins@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org