Home

The Amazing Joanne and I have been in Denver for going on a year now, living in a lovely apartment God found for us, but we're beginning to believe that it's time to take the next step to settle in -- finding a house to purchase and move into, and start putting down roots.

I have mixed feelings about it. Our apartment has been a place to meet a bunch of new people, and we've enjoyed having people over here. We've made friends with the management and staff, and taken time to welcome new tenants to our building and some of the others too. Whenever we leave, I'll miss this place that welcomed us to Colorado. But then again, we could do the same things in a new neighborhood -- inviting people in for coffee or lunch, and welcoming new arrivals, maybe hosting a Bible study and introducing people to this amazing God who loves us so much.

The Bible talks about home too, of course. Many of God's servants were wanderers, not having a place to call their own. Take Abraham, for example, along with Isaac and Jacob, as told in Hebrews 11:8-9; or Moses, who left his home in Egypt and moved to the desert, then came back and wandered with the Israelites in tents for another 40 years. All of these, the writer tells us, were looking for something beyond just this life: "Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God." (Hebrews 11:10) And all the other people of faith were hanging on for something none of them ever completely received: "All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised." (Hebrews 11:39) Even Jesus had to do without a home sometimes, he said (Matthew 8:20).

And Paul wrote that this physical life is, after all, only temporary and he was looking forward to a different 'home' after death, in 2 Corinthians 5: "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands...We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." The here-and-now looks so solid and real, but the true reality and permanence is in the final home we get to have with God.

I don't know if we'll find the perfect house or not, or if God will call us to stay in the apartments awhile longer, or whether if we move, we'll stay there until the end of our days. But I do know that God has a home for me that won't need paint, a new roof, or even heating in the winter -- and that's the one I'm really looking forward to.

And the best news of all, God has reserved a 'new house' for all humanity, not just the nice kids -- Jesus died and was resurrected on behalf of every single person. We've all got that permanent home waiting for us. Isn't that great news?

Do you believe that? Or is something holding you back from being sure what God has waiting for you? If so let's talk.

My place or yours?