Jeremiah 28:1-29:32; 1 Timothy 1:1-20; Psalm 86:1-17; Proverbs 25:17
“This is what the Lord says: ‘You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,’ says the Lord. ‘I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.’”
“This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope. I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.”
“Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you.”
I remember being a college freshman over 800 miles away from home and knowing no one in the entire school. Coming to Texas from Georgia was like enrolling in a university overseas. Everything was different, from the way people talked to the things people treasured and emulated. To say I was a fish out of water would be putting it mildly. I was a stranger in a very strange land.
Several things got me through that most difficult year, not the least of which were my weekly letters from my folks back in Georgia. They did not usually involve anything of real moment (except for my allowance!), just “catch-up” on all the doings-on back home. But there was always a serious message of encouragement included, nonetheless. Once every week, whether I asked for it or not, I got a tangible reminder in my hand proving – no matter how I was feeling about myself at the time – that I was loved. Even though we were half a country apart, there were family and friends back home thinking of me, praying for me and waiting with open arms for my return.
I have an idea that’s sort of what heaven will be like. Loved ones separated from us for decades will line the streets to the Throne Room just to get a look at us. They will touch us, encourage us along the way, and welcome us Home. Everyone will miraculously know our names. Nothing will be said that isn’t positive and uplifting. Past hurts and grudges will be left outside the gates. We will all be free to rekindle wonderful new relationships without guilt or regret.
Until then, though, God has sent each of us many love letters from Home. They may not look like much, and they may not require postage, but each one brings a unique reminder of how much we are cared for and loved. We may call some of these the Bible; some the Holy Spirit; and some may look an awful lot like people we know. Some may be so familiar we don’t even bother to open them. (Our loss.) Others are so radically, wonderfully different from what we expected that we simply stand in awe as we experience them. But they all have one thing in common: they are gifts of a loving Father. And no matter how far away we may think we are from Him, there is literally nowhere we can go that is out of His reach or beyond His ability to infuse us with His love and support. We just have to be on the lookout for His messages and be ready to open them when they are delivered.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I, for one, frequently forget to watch my spiritual mail. I forget I have a Creator passionately interested in my progress, hopes and activities. I forget I have a Savior who truly desires to spend time with me, to encourage and help me look more like Him. And, I forget I have a Spirit who would like nothing better than taking me for the ride of my life. So, I don’t always pay attention like I should, and messages get lost. That why it’s a good thing God keeps writing, because we forget we are loved. With Jesus, there is no out of sight or out of mind. We have a literal cloud of witnesses behind us, loving and supporting us. So the Lord just inundates us with signs of His love and longing for our return. He shows and tells us the Way. He wants us to know that, as far as He is concerned, we are all uniquely special, and our return to Him is always uppermost in his mind and the very most important desire of His heart. Tom Wolfe didn’t know as much as he thought he did. We can all go Home again. We have a standing invitation that is sent again and again until it is accepted. Today is a terrific time to open our mail and send in our RSVPs; let’s go ahead and reserve our place at the Heavenly Banquet given in our honor.
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