Home With Him

In a few days, I will be taking a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles.  As the day of my departure draws nigh, the occasional sound of a plane in the distance reminds me of that fact.  It has been two years since my last visit to the United States.  It's a strange thing to have lived in the San Diego for most of my life but to feel like a stranger heading back.  Don't get me wrong:  I know most of the streets, freeways, suburbs quite well.  By God's grace I should be able to recognise family and friends, though I probably won't remember all the names I once did.  I am coming back to people who have changed, and I have changed too - hopefully for the better and wiser!

I was born in San Diego, but San Diego is no longer my home.  This was settled even before I left San Diego for Sydney in 2010.  God brought my heart to Australia long before my family came or our stuff arrived in a container.  Sydney is where I currently reside, yet technically it is not my home either.  Though ultimately my home is in heaven, God has provided a way for me to always be home.  Jesus says in John 14:23, "Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."  Often we think of "home" as a fixed point on the earth, yet God comes to those who love Him and makes His home with us wherever we are!  The Holy Spirit takes up residence in the heart of every believer.  Jesus is called "Immanuel," meaning "God with us."  We will never be "home" - we will never find true rest - until we enter into a relationship built upon the truth of God's Word.

They say "Home is where the heart is" and there is truth in this cliche, though perhaps not in the way intended.  More important than having a house for my body is that God makes His home with me.  Whether I travel far or stay near, if I live or die, God and I will be together forever.  This is a comforting thought not only for me, but for my family that I will be leaving behind.  I will be leaving for a while, but God will never leave or forsake them.  Praise God for the confidence, peace, and rest we find in Him!