Coming Home

Hello friends!

Don't let the title mislead you- I AM back in Mechanicsville. It was a tremendous trip- all glory to God- and I look forward to writing another post dedicated to my trip with pictures, etc., in the future. But this post is about something that's been on my mind and heart the past day or so...

First of all- Exodus 34:6 says (and it's repeated in Psalm 103)

"The LORD, The LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness..."

Just take a moment and worship God for how amazing He truly is. Isn't this description of Him SO wonderful? And it struck me, also, how we are called to live like this as well- to be merciful and gracious to each other (forgiving each other- Matthew 6:13-14), to be slow to become angry with each other (James 1:19) and to abound in steadfast love and faithfulness towards God and our neighbor (the greatest commandments- Mark 12:30-31). Truly- if we live out this description of God in our lives, we will be obeying His commandments and living a life "pleasing to Him"... Let's do it in His strength!

Also- I just returned home from a few days at the beach with students from the ministry in which I had the privilege of serving this past year and it was a lot of fun! There were some good conversations, great times with the Lord (finishing up this go-round of studying Ecclesiastes) and great friends. But there was something about setting foot back into my house here in Mechanicsville that was really special. Yes- having my whole family at the house (not-so-common for our family) is a beautiful thing, but it's more than that. It has to do with the place.

It sparked some thoughts about "home" and the significance of it. To put it plainly: I don't believe that we're Home yet. Don't ever be fooled- Home is eternity with the Father and Jesus, not this crazy place called earth. Scripture:

John 14:1-3
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

1 Peter 2:11-12
"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."

Philippians 3:20-21
"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself."

We are "sojourners and exiles" in this place- for our "citizenship is in heaven". The NIV calls us "aliens and strangers", and I love this picture because it shows that we really don't belong here. Do things ever feel not right about the way things are currently? Like we were created for something more?

CS Lewis had some magnificent thoughts (like usual) on this. He once wrote in a letter responding to the comment 'Nor does being hungry prove that we have bread'.

"But surely tho' it doesn't prove that one particular man will get food, it does prove that there is such a thing as food! i.e. if we were a species that didn't normally eat, weren't designed to eat, wd. we feel hungry?"

In the same way, we were created for a Home in which we do not currently reside. Although we may not see or fully know it now, the fact that we long for something more proves that there is something greater than this life. Our spirits and souls were not created just for this earth. I believe that we were created to worship the God of the Universe- the only One worthy of all worship, praise, honor, and power- and we worship Him most fully when we are in His presence. While here on earth, we only have glimpses or 'tastes' of His goodness.

1 Peter 2:2-3
"Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good."

I feel like Peter is saying that the greatest "good" we experience or see here on earth is just a taste of the true goodness of God. The full goodness of God will not be realized while we are 'at home in the body' (2 Cor. 5). If the greatest 'good' we experience here on earth is but a TASTE of the goodness of God, can you imagine how Amazing He truly is?! It's like we are fascinated by a puddle God created and have yet to see and experience the ocean!

I love this house and, in many ways, while I'm away I look forward to coming home- not because I'm dissatisfied with my current location, but because I know how great home and family are. I am SO thankful for how God has revealed His goodness to me in this life in so many different ways, but I also recognize that these are just tastes of His true goodness- and for that, I cannot WAIT to get to our true, eternal Home with Him.

Don't live for the temporal, transient "seen"... live this life as an "alien and stranger" with an eternal perspective, looking to the things "unseen" (2 Cor. 4:18), so that all people will glorify God in the day of visitation.

One day, we're coming Home...

Luke