Day 1 (October 5, 2009)

Homesick for Heaven

Revelation 21:1-5a (ESV)

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”  And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

There are not many things in life that can make me cry.  I can’t even remember the last time I wept.  But, there is a song by Michael Card which has brought me to the brink of breaking down many times.  It’s called The New Jerusalem.  It is almost verbatim from the above passage.  When I hear it and reflect on the words I get a lump in my throat and I can barely resist the urge to weep.  The feeling that I get when I hear these words is not depression or sadness but intense homesickness. It’s the unbearable pain of separation from the place where I truly belong – a place where God himself dwells with me and will dry every tear from my eye.  I find myself longing for the destruction of this fallen world and the rebirth of a new one where mankind no longer need be separated from God.  I find myself longing for even my own death so that I might be resurrected into new life with God in heaven. 

We don’t belong here.   Do you realize that?  We are resurrected with Christ and belong to a different world.  But how often do we succumb to the pleasures and trappings of this meager, dark existence.  We are here as representative of the Kingdom of Heaven which is our true home.  Do you miss it?  Are you ever homesick for heaven? 

Dear Lord, forgive us for forgetting that our treasure lies in you.  Show us what it is to be homesick for our home, Heaven.  Place on our hearts a passion for your kingdom and a longing for the new life you offer us.  And set our hearts on fire that we might share this new life with those in our lives who have fallen prey to the enticements of this world.  We humbly ask these things in the name of Christ, Amen

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