This House is not our Home

 “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” Acts 17:26-27

The house that I live in right now is the house that my dad built the year before I was born. We live in the country, on a dead end road with 13 houses in our neighborhood.  I grew up in this house, left for college, then got married and moved 3 hours north for 8 years. We moved back to my hometown when our daughters were 4 and 7 months old and by then my mom wanted to move into some place smaller, so we moved in! I’ve lived here all but 8 years of my life.

I don’t think for a minute that moving back into my childhood home was coincidence. I believe that where you live isn’t a consequence of your budget or your stage of life. I believe that where you live is because God deliberately placed you there. A lot of events, circumstances and decisions led you exactly where you belong.  God brought you to the exact place He wanted you to be.

When we moved back “home”, my husband made the comment that we’d have to find a new church to attend.  I just looked at him and said, “Um, we HAVE a church to attend. The one I grew up in and we were married in!”  While we had attended church while we lived away, we didn’t really get very involved in that church. We just simply attended. 

After we moved back, God took hold of my life like He had never done before. I found a new passion for learning and growing in God that I had never had before, even when I attended my home church while growing up. I truly believe that God clearly worked in my life and helped show me how and where to reach out to Him.

Even though I’ve lived here for a long, long time, this is still just a temporary living situation. My earthly home is not my true home. Your home is not your true home. We have a better home, and abiding one, in heaven (Hebrews 10:34).  If we love, follow and serve Christ, no matter where we may rest our head at night, we know we actually belong somewhere else.

That does not mean we shouldn’t love and enjoy the home we live in. God specifically chose our homes for us. But he did that for the sake of His glory through us, and for our joy. As you enjoy your home today, make sure you prepare your heart to one day live forever at home with God.

Have a blessed day!

~ Bev