Home with God

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10)

Without exaggerating too much, this more or less feels like my life right now-except for the “inheritance” part-as we prepare to follow the call to Orillia. “He obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going… like a stranger in a foreign country…”
Of course there is also something universal in the story of Abraham. It is not just a story for pilgrims who happen to be moving house, but for all Christians who journey toward God and the promises he has set before us in Jesus. It is a lifelong journey-the journey of discipleship.
It is a journey marked by not knowing entirely where we are going. What will we become when we follow Jesus? What does God call us to do with the few days and limited resources in our possession? Who will we encounter and befriend along the way?
We often fear that God will make us do the opposite of what we want-that if we happen to make eye contact with the Almighty and get pressed into his call, he’ll ship us off to some far-flung continent to suffer deplorable conditions as a missionary or something. It happened to Abraham, after all (to Femke and I too!). But this notion misunderstands something about our God.
Does he sometimes call us to do hard things? Sure. But God just as often works with our desires as against them-indeed the journey of the Christian life is a journey of purifying and refining our desires. God placed desires in the human heart so that we might desire him and his gifts. When lived well-the journey of our Christian lives bends our desires increasingly toward God to the point where we may begin to trust those desires to lead us home.
In the example of Abraham-he made his home in the promised land, but despite arriving in this good place of God’s calling, the promised land always pointed beyond itself to “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” So Abraham lived always as a stranger in a foreign country. Not because he had no claim on the land on which he lived-but because his true home was with God.
This is perhaps a strange thing to wrap our heads around-but its true for us as well. Whether one rents, tents, or owns a house and cottage-we too are naught but strangers in a foreign country. Why? Because our true home is not here at all-but with God in Christ. He is the one to whom we belong. Home is the place of rest we will know with him when this earth and its heavens are made new and we see him at last as he is: face to face.
Until then: we journey forward in faith, trusting that the one who made the promise is faithful and will provide everything needful until at long last he brings us home.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.