“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7
Home. The dictionary defines Home both as a point of origin and a goal or destination. So does the Bible. We, all of us, begin life from the same lifesource, God. From the trust-fund babies born in our finest medical centers, to the babies born in the grass huts of Haiti, to the test-tube babies born in artificial insemination laboratories, all of life has the same point of origin; God.
Thus begin our disparate, varied and myriad journeys of life with this one common denominator, as the Scriptures says, God “has set eternity in their hearts…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), you might say, as a homing beacon. We were made for God, and “we are all restless”, Augustine said, “until we find our rest in Thee”.
In our nation, and our world, we find this to be true. Restless, and angry people abound today, much the same way we would when we find ourselves lost and frustrated when we cannot find our destination, and when even our Garmin is of no help. That is the time when our “homing beacon” kicks in; if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. In every country on earth, God has “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being…”
(Act 17:26-28)
All along our life journey we have landmarks to help us get our bearing. “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge, There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out though all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.” (Ps.19:1-4)
All of creation beckons us homeward.
Never has this truth become so personally relevant to me as it did on July 14, 2023.
It was a Friday. I had been retired from the practice of surgery for a little more than a year. My wife, Karen, and I were planning an outing during an uncrowded time, when most people were at work. When all of a sudden there was an earthquake, in my head. It seemed as though the roof of my skull caved in. I remember staggering from the bedroom to the kitchen where I collapsed in Karen’s arms, and that is when I lost consciousness .
In the twilight of that moment, in my head, I saw myself finishing a footrace, and I collapsed into the waiting arms of Jesus at the finish line. He didn’t say anything to me, but I knew who He was, because His face was shining as the sun shined in its strength. And I knew I was home.
Almost as soon as it appeared, it was gone, and I woke up in the ICU. I had a CVA — a cerebral vascular accident or “stroke”. I awakened to find Karen and two close friends surrounding my bed. As good as it was to see them, I must confess a great disappointment that I was not home.
That experience, though it was for only a moment, was emblazoned in my memory and left me with a lingering homesickness.
When we gather together for communion, we acknowledge that this world is not our home. We remember what Jesus said, that He will not eat of the bread, or drink of wine, until He can eat and drink together with us in our eternal home.( Luke 22:16) Until that day comes, we eat the bread and the drink of the fruit of the vine in anticipation of when we will share this meal together with our Lord. As Ravenhill so aptly put it: “Eternal glories gleam afar to nerve my faint endeavor. So now to work, to watch, to war, and then to rest forever.” We will finally be at home.
Questions to Think About:
Home. The dictionary defines Home both as a point of origin and a goal or destination. So does the Bible. We, all of us, begin life from the same lifesource, God. From the trust-fund babies born in our finest medical centers, to the babies born in the grass huts of Haiti, to the test-tube babies born in artificial insemination laboratories, all of life has the same point of origin; God.
Thus begin our disparate, varied and myriad journeys of life with this one common denominator, as the Scriptures says, God “has set eternity in their hearts…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), you might say, as a homing beacon. We were made for God, and “we are all restless”, Augustine said, “until we find our rest in Thee”.
In our nation, and our world, we find this to be true. Restless, and angry people abound today, much the same way we would when we find ourselves lost and frustrated when we cannot find our destination, and when even our Garmin is of no help. That is the time when our “homing beacon” kicks in; if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. In every country on earth, God has “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being…”
(Act 17:26-28)
All along our life journey we have landmarks to help us get our bearing. “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge, There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out though all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.” (Ps.19:1-4)
All of creation beckons us homeward.
Never has this truth become so personally relevant to me as it did on July 14, 2023.
It was a Friday. I had been retired from the practice of surgery for a little more than a year. My wife, Karen, and I were planning an outing during an uncrowded time, when most people were at work. When all of a sudden there was an earthquake, in my head. It seemed as though the roof of my skull caved in. I remember staggering from the bedroom to the kitchen where I collapsed in Karen’s arms, and that is when I lost consciousness .
In the twilight of that moment, in my head, I saw myself finishing a footrace, and I collapsed into the waiting arms of Jesus at the finish line. He didn’t say anything to me, but I knew who He was, because His face was shining as the sun shined in its strength. And I knew I was home.
Almost as soon as it appeared, it was gone, and I woke up in the ICU. I had a CVA — a cerebral vascular accident or “stroke”. I awakened to find Karen and two close friends surrounding my bed. As good as it was to see them, I must confess a great disappointment that I was not home.
That experience, though it was for only a moment, was emblazoned in my memory and left me with a lingering homesickness.
When we gather together for communion, we acknowledge that this world is not our home. We remember what Jesus said, that He will not eat of the bread, or drink of wine, until He can eat and drink together with us in our eternal home.( Luke 22:16) Until that day comes, we eat the bread and the drink of the fruit of the vine in anticipation of when we will share this meal together with our Lord. As Ravenhill so aptly put it: “Eternal glories gleam afar to nerve my faint endeavor. So now to work, to watch, to war, and then to rest forever.” We will finally be at home.
Questions to Think About:
- You have eternity in your heart, as a homing beacon. How has this affected your thought life, if at all?
- We are made to know God and enjoy Him forever. Do we? If not, why not?
Posted in Home