Just Visiting

One of our family’s favorite activities is exploring new places. At times, our adventures teeter into the realm of extreme, but for the most part, a good old-fashioned vacation to a new city usually satisfies our itch for discovery. Tasting new foods, experiencing local culture, and sightseeing new places leaves us energized and refreshed. The average 4-5 day vacation never seems long enough, but add a few days and the desire to be home always crashes the party.

Even when we find a vacation spot with seemingly endless excitement to experience, there’s no better feeling than walking through the doors of our home, unpacking our suitcases and falling asleep in our own bed. The ability to vacation is such a blessing, but, like the saying goes, home is where the heart is. Our home is our family’s place of refuge. It’s our place to gather with family and friends. It’s the place we kick our shoes off, get comfortable and just be ourselves. It’s such a good place, that sometimes it’s hard to remember we are just visiting.

I get so wrapped up in the here and now that at times I forget “this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” Heb 13:14 NLT. The Lord has blessed me so abundantly with family, friends, possessions, and experiences. I

know that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17 KJV. The blessings are amazing, and I am so thankful for them. It’s hard to believe that they are just a taste of what is to come.

Daily, I need to ask the Lord to remind me of eternity with Him because my flesh loves the good gifts. It wants to hoard them and multiply them. It wants to seek ways to make them better. My flesh wants me to believe that earthly blessings are the end all be all. My flesh wants to take what the Lord meant for good and turn it into something gross. 1 Peter 2:11 (MSG) encourages us to remember “this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.”

I don’t want to gain the whole world and lose my soul. I want to stand in the physical presence of Jesus. I want to know what it’s like to walk on the streets of gold. I want to spend eternity with blessings beyond belief. This world has nothing for me in comparison to heaven. In Rev 21, John sees our true home, New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. The Lord speaks to John and reminds him of Isaiah’s prophecy of the city then says, “Behold, I make all things new…It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.” When we suppress the flesh and walk in the Spirit, we overcome. Overcomers will inherit all things and rest eternally as a son or daughter of the Almighty King of Kings.

Lord, I plea the blood over my mind. Flood my mind with thoughts of eternity. Give me a mindset that rests my eyes on Your kingdom and throws of the things of this world. Remind me daily that only You can quench my thirst with the water of life. In Jesus’ Name.