Homesickness

“For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not handmade—and we'll never have to relocate our "tents" again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move [to heaven]—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what's coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we're tired of it! We've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less.” – 2 Corinthians 5:1-3 (The Message)

Have you ever been homesick? Maybe when you were younger, you went away to camp or to spend the night at a friend’s house for the first time and you felt that deep ache in your heart. I have friends that are career missionaries overseas and I know that at times they long for the familiarity of friends and family back in the States. I also know of men and women in our military currently fighting for our freedom who also miss their loved ones back home. I live on the opposite coast from my family and so many dear friends and have recently pinpointed that I have an intense longing in my heart and its homesickness. I am going on 7 months now of not having had a San Diego “fix” and that’s way too long. :) What makes me feel this way? I get to talk with them on the phone and Skype with them, but at the end of that day that doesn’t quite do it because I’m not in their presence. My heart is so connected to them and because I know what it’s like to spend time laughing and talking and just being with them, it leaves me constantly hungering for more. Does that resonate with anyone?

And while we experience homesickness in this earthly life, I think it is but a shadow of a deeper kind of homesickness for our eternal, heavenly home. I love how the Message puts the end of those verses: “The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.” Those mountaintop experiences with God, those breathtaking views of a sunset or a waterfall, those moments when you’re laughing so hard with a friend you feel your sides are going to split, those instances when you feel fully known and fully loved are all teasers to the real story that awaits us. Those glimpses remind us that this earth is not our home; we are merely passing through. That is God whetting our appetite so that we yearn for more – more of Him, more fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, more love and joy and peace (fruits of the Spirit) and the ability to finally be whole and free from sin and death. We long to be home with our Father who’s even now preparing a place for us (John 14:1-3). So if you are experiencing homesickness in any form today, join me in thanking the Lord that we have a place that carries such significance and meaning that our hearts would ache for it and let us also be reminded each time we feel that familiar pang, that we are ultimately yearning to be home with our Heavenly Father in our eternal and secure dwelling place. The best is yet to come!

For HIS Name’s Sake

“He saved them for His name’s sake, that He might make His mighty power known.” Psalm 106:8

Have you ever wondered why God saved you? The obvious answer is because He loves you. From the song some of us learned growing up - “Jesus loves me, this I know…” - to the most well-known verse in the Bible - “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16) - we have reminders and evidence that God saved us because of His great love for us. But if we stop there, I wonder if we’re in danger of having an egocentric view of our salvation? He also saved us for His name’s sake and to make His mighty power known. Our salvation is proof of His supreme authority! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work to radically transform and revive dead hearts (think of the Apostle Paul from the New Testament and think of your own conversion!). Jesus, who took upon Himself the sin of all mankind for all eternity defeated both sin and death and covered you with His blood when you asked Him to be Lord and Savior of your life. God’s wrath toward us is now satisfied because of that blood. And now, as children of God we are light in this dark world, displaying His majesty and power and love and authority. What a privilege! We are image bearers of the King of kings and Lord of lords. We are His ambassadors to this world.

So my question to you today is, how is God using the testimony of your salvation (Webster’s Dictionary defines testimony as “a public profession of a religious experience”) for His name’s sake and to make His mighty power known to those around you?

Light on My Feet

“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

It struck me as interesting that the writer of Hebrews chose “throw off” here to instruct us about what to do with the sin that entangles us. He didn’t say to reason our way through it, to ignore it and hope it will go away, and he didn’t even say to go see a counselor about it. He told us to throw it off – get rid of it, banish it, drive it out, cast it off. Why? Because he knew how susceptible we are to being caught up in it. The writer is honest with the reality of his sinful nature and reminds us that we are easily entangled in sin. Think about the poor moth that gets tangled up in a spider’s web. He barely brushes against it and the web clings onto his frail body. Then, as he desperately wrestles to get free, he is ultimately bound deeper and tighter into the web. We are like that moth and when we get caught up in our sinful habits – be it overeating, pornography, gossip, selfishness, pride, unforgiveness, doubt, etc - we are prevented from running the race of our Christian life with both perseverance and in a manner that represents our Lord well to those watching us.

So, what is it that you need to “throw off” and what does that look like? Are you like me - guilty of reasoning away, ignoring or talking to everyone else but God about your sin? Two days ago, I actually threw out a box of cookies I had left over from a party because they were too tempting for me. You may find that ridiculous because that’s not your struggle, but to me, that was “throwing off” what easily entangles me. We MUST get serious about this Christian race we’re running and what it takes to run well. I don’t know about you, but this is one race in which I want to be light on my feet!

God Keeps Track

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3: 23-24

The Lord comforted my heart greatly with this verse tonight. Do you have people in your life that it seems no matter how hard you work to please or serve them, it’s just not good enough? Or perhaps you feel your service goes unnoticed? Have you bent over backwards recently to care for your children, to serve your husband, to tirelessly finish a deadline for work, to reach out to a friend in need – only to receive criticism, a roll of the eyes, a cold shoulder or just a lack of appreciation? I love this verse because it reminds us WHO we’re ultimately serving in any one of these instances. And guess what? Our Heavenly Father’s eyes are on us at all times. When your kids take you for granted, HE is the one left smiling with an appreciative heart. When you and your husband just can’t seem to get on the same page, HE is the One who understands. When the time and effort you put into that project at work goes unnoticed, HE is the one who notices. When your friend in need doesn’t respond to your attempts to help, HE is the One who saw how hard you tried. Nothing, absolutely nothing, escapes His all-seeing eye and did you happen to see the promise in that verse? “You will receive an inheritance form the Lord as a reward.”

People are flawed; we are flawed! As long as we are around people we are going to run into these kinds of situations. And I believe God knew that and knew that we needed this perspective in our service. No matter how we’re treated here on earth – good or bad – our focus should be on the One – the Lord Christ - we’re ultimately serving through these everyday relationships. God keeps track and He doesn’t miss a thing!