“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”
Hebrews 13:14
There has rarely been a time in my life where I could honestly answer the question, “where is home for you?”. My life has been so full of transition, that there has never been a singular place that has ever felt like home. By the end of the seventh grade I had already lived in four different towns and thirty different “houses”. This pattern in my life has never changed. There have always been more places than years to count. My husband and I have been married less than four years, and we just moved for the sixth time. This pattern has had many interesting results, both good and bad. I can make friends very quickly. I don’t waste time in the shallow end of relationships, and now I have friends that are literally all over the world. This also means that I have said goodbye to people that I love more times than I can count. So where is my home? The Bible actually has quite a bit to say about this.
The Bible often calls those who follow Jesus exiles and sojourners, or temporary residents (see 1 Peter 2:11). For many this may seem weird, but I feel this deep in my soul. This broken world, and this broken body, are not where I ultimately belong. Do you ever feel the same? Do you ever feel out of place here? We are supposed to! So where can we find comfort? Where can we find home? 2 Corinthians 5:8 says that when we leave these broken bodies, and this broken world, that we will be at home with the Lord! God is our home. We are not permanent citizens of any country, because our citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 3:20 says,
“ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”
I love the way the writer of Hebrews puts it when he says in Hebrews 13:14,
“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”
This world is not our permanent home. When Jesus comes back, God will make a new heaven and a new earth where death and pain will no longer exist. Those who follow Jesus will have new bodies that will never suffer sickness or decay. So what does this mean for us right now? It means that when we say goodbye to someone who follows Jesus, it is never really goodbye. It means that when this world is uncomfortable and we feel out of place, it is only temporary. It means that we have hope, and we have a home.
My Prayer for You Father, I thank you for providing a perfect and permanent home for us in you. I ask that you provide comfort and rest to those who are searching for a home. I ask that they would find that home in your presence and in the presence of a community of people who follow Jesus. Amen.
Use this verse image we created for you to share with your friends on social media!
Our staff would love to pray for you. Please go to www.fhlcarlsbad.org/request-prayer to submit your prayer request or schedule a time for one of our staff members to pray with you!