Welcome Home!

 "I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people." Leviticus 26:12

"My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people." Ezekiel 37:27

    With great expectation, Dave and I went to the airport to greet our daughter and her two children who had not come to our home since last May. While we waited I did some people watching. One woman waited rather impatiently, checking her timepiece and looking often down the corridor. Two men passed by carrying a sign that said, "Welcome Home!" A happy family of four joyously ran up to their kin as the children greeted their grandparents. Soon it would be our time for this elation.

    Though daily photographs and phone calls from our daughter bring us such comfort, nothing beats an honest-to-goodness in-person hug. Boy, did we deliver! 

    I got to thinking about this. If I feel this strongly about seeing my descendants, I can only imagine how my heavenly Father feels when His children, on whom He has lavished such love, run into His arms.

     Ribboned throughout the Bible we see how God longs to be reunited with people. He, who once walked with mankind in the garden until sin entered the world, set into action a plan to bridge our gap. That plan was Jesus, the Holy Son of God, who came down to earth in person and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14), sacrificing His life to pay for our sins and redeem us from death. For those who believe upon His Name, transferring their trust onto Him, He sends his Holy Spirit to live within us as a deposit or a guarantee of His return (2 Corinthians 1:22).

    It's a true comfort to commune daily with the Spirit divine, speaking with God through prayer, and listening for response through the Scriptures. These are like the long-distance substitutes that guard our relationship with our kinfolk.

    But, praise the Lord, that's not the end of the story. When Jesus comes again, we shall see Him face-to-face; honest-to-goodness and in-person! The separation will finally be over as we all sit down at the banquet table to enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb. It will be the most glorious family reunion ever.

    WELCOME HOME!

"Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  Revelation 21:3-4

    

A Man Named Bill

 "Today, if only you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." Psalm 95: 7-8

    Before I left for an appointment, I prayed that God would lead me to someone who needs Him. To encourage the matter, I wore my "Jesus is King" tee shirt, which did indeed spark a conversation with a man named Bill and his smiling wife, Laura. They complimented me on my apparel, so I sat next to them.

    As God would have it, a software glitch caused a delay in our appointments allowing time to talk. Soon, Bill was telling me that, though he has searched for God in various kinds of churches, though he has been told many times over that there is a God and though he sees it for himself in creation, and though his wife is a Christian, he still cannot take that last step of faith. Physically, he was up in years and down on health, even close to dying at one point last year. His wife pleads for him in prayer, but, as Bill said, "I have to see to believe, and I just don't see it."

    Praying for guidance, I told him of the grace of our Lord Jesus who showed Doubting Thomas his hands and side (John 20:27), and that it is even merciful of God to allow us free will. We do not have to come to Him, but are gently and lovingly invited. Yet, any verse or tenet of my faith I offered, Bill had heard before and remained unconvinced. With tears in his eyes, his frustration was apparent, so I looked at him in love and said, "Jesus loves you and He always will."

    An old adage my mom often used says, "Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today." To delay a haircut or procrastinate over an oil change, these do not begin to compare with the putting off of one's eternal destination, for as Solomon wrote, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring." (Proverbs 27:1) The words of the Apostle Paul further expound: "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)

    Bill weighs heavily on my heart, as do a host of loved ones who are going their own way, so I kneel in prayer for them. God is patient, He does not want anyone to perish as He demonstrated on the cross, but one of these days will be our last one. Then what? 

If only you would hear His voice.

"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1: 8-9

Gone Fishin'

 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." Matthew 4:19

    When my great-nephew, Mason, was around twelve years old, I took him fishing. He had come prepared with a pole and a bucket of worms. His dad had assured me Mason knew how to fish, which fancied me just fine since I am not partial to the activity. Even the thought of putting a worm on the hook made me squeamish.

    Out on the pier, he put the hapless worm into the water and, in no time, he drew up a fish! After a moment of celebration, it was time to release the catch, but Mason motioned for me to do this odious task saying he didn't know how it was done. Well, neither did I! We bantered back and forth about it until it became clear that it was up to the adult to take it off the hook. As soon as I reached for it, the poor thing began to furiously flap about and I let out a scream. I then employed a seasoned fisherman on the next pier to help us. Then we went home.

    When Jesus called the first disciples, He walked beside the Sea of Galilee and invited four fishermen to fish for men and women. "At once they left their nets and followed him." (Matthew 4:20)

    I wish I were as eager as they were.

    Why do I have such fear and reticence when it comes to sharing my most precious possession: my faith in Jesus? I have wasted more time fishing around in the murky waters trying to draw up that smelly sack of my sins that Jesus hurled in there, paying no heed to His posted sign: "No Fishing." (see Micah 7:19)  

    Why do I do this? 

    Then I considered the Great Commission in which Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28: 19-20) The very word "commission" defines it as a co-mission, meaning Jesus and I are fishing together! I have His promise that seals it right there in the verse.

    Instead of wasting time listening to the Accuser, I am going to follow Jesus to the pier. He has all the gear, He holds the license and the "fish" belong to Him. He just wants me to come along and share my story with others. 

    I can gladly do that, no worms involved!

"Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn't realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, 'Friends, haven't you any fish?'

"'No,' they answered.

"He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.' When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish." John 21: 5-6