Home

Oh my what a week it's been!

Between usual family stuff; school, homework, soccer practice-all the STUFF that comes with having three kids. . .

There has extended family turmoil  that with the turmoil brought strife, and let's just say it's been overwhelming.

Of course, then there is ministry to do(which is my privilege and honor), first Bible study of the season was yesterday and a women's event that I brought the devotion for last night.

Hard to believe this has been a 'short' week.

Oh and the icing on the cake, our oldest is really battling all sorts of asthma J U N K right now.

I imagine if you and I were sitting down over a cup of coffee right now, your list of frustrating, sad, difficult things would be as long, if not longer than mine.
It truly feels as if every time I turn around someone is telling about some tragic or EXTREMELY difficult thing they are going through.

Yesterday I was reading in John 14 and in the first verse Jesus is talking to his disciples and he says "Let not your heart be troubled", see he had just gotten done telling them all sorts of hard things that were about to happen to them.  

(And, I've known  that verse since I was a little girl, but the  powerful about God's word is how alive it is  and how we can see with fresh eyes something that's been there all along.)

What struck me about this verse was how Jesus didn't say "you have nothing to worry about" or "you have no reason to be troubled". He's acknowledging that they indeed do have troubles.

I love that about Christ.  He knows how human and frail we really are deep   down inside.

The second half of verse one say "you believe in God, believe also in me."

Belief requires faith.

Down farther in the chapter in verse 15 we read:

If you love me, keep my commands.

Faith requires obedience. (Jesus doesn't give us choice, he telling them Believe in me, trust me.)

Then down in verse 23 it says.

 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

Love = obedience

Obedience=Fellowship with God and Christ

Fellowship with God and Christ= Home

And isn't home what we all long for?

At the end of the day, when we're sick, things are going wrong, hard day at work, don't we all just want to go home?

I love words, so even though I know what 'home' is, I thought I'd look it up in the dictionary just to see if there were any other definitions than what I'd typically think of and I loved what I found.

Home: a familiar setting : a congenial environment.

And isn’t that what we all want? 

Home where they know us and love us anyway. Home were it's peaceful (or at least it's supposed to be)
Home where you're safe while the battles of the world rage around you.

Faith, Obedience, fellowship, HOME.

Maybe your earthly home is the LAST place you'd find those things, but when we know Christ we can know that of all the blessings He's promised us-HOME is one of the best.

I pray we will all find ourselves ‘Home’ this week.

Blessings,