23rd June 2025
Home
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
Revelation 21:2-4 (NLT)
Mankind has been searching for generation after generation for a solution to their needs, for the favour of their gods, just trying to get their god to notice them and bless them with a variety of favours, with mercy. They plead with them, they bribe them with little gifts, they call out to them over and over, and, if this does not work, they move on to someone else’s god. I saw a man one time with so many representations of the gods of mankind around his neck that I wondered how he could stand up straight under the weight. He wanted to make sure he found the right god, but he was still not sure which one that was, and so he wanted to make sure he did not leave him out.
We focus on the comforts of this life, and we look forward to the home provided for us in heaven when we leave this earth. Just as Jesus reminds us: “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Trust in God, and also trust in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:1-3 NLT). We have a home with God, that is true, and we long for that day when we will rejoice as those who do so now around the throne room of God.
Heaven can seem so far away, we cannot see it, nor do we know where exactly it is. We cannot pinpoint it on a map, but we do know that God will be there. Revelation 21 announces to us that God will not only invite us to his home, but that he will in fact bring his home to us and he will make his home with us forevermore. We do not have to worry about losing our way, the Way comes to us where we are. Our new home will be glorious! As a bride makes herself beautiful for her groom, so God will come to us in all his splendour. he will spare nothing for us, and in his presence, all hurt and pain will fade away as the joys of God fills us completely. Then we will finally be home, home where we belong. Praise be to our glorious God!
Prayer
Merciful and loving God, you have shown us from the beginning of time how important family and home is. You have given us a glimpse of the joy of your relationship in heaven as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some of us have been blessed in this life and some have yet to learn the joys of it. We all long for that one thing that will make us complete – you. You are preparing us as we journey home to you. We are secure in your hands and in your love. Thank you, God, for bringing us back home to you. In Jesus we pray, Amen.
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Study by: Anne Gillam About the author: |
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