There’s no place like home…

      It is exciting to go on vacation.  My husband and I prefer to drive because you just never know what you may see that you didn’t know was there!  We have traveled coast to coast in Canada and I have to tell you the natural scenery is more beautiful than anywhere I can imagine.  There are forests and sand dunes, abundant lakes and rivers, mountains and canyons, rugged terrain and rolling hills; in other words any kind of natural environment you’d enjoy.  But no matter where we go, I always enjoy returning home to my own bed, and my own space where I can eat real homemade food instead of restaurant or fast food fare.

       On our honeymoon my travel loving husband took me to the east coast.  It was after boarding the ferry to Prince Edward Island, driving the red roads through the rolling land, climbing the red rock shores of the northern coast that I fell in love with the province.  It felt like home to me and I was sad to leave it.  Every time I have returned I get the identical feelings.  Maybe one day I’ll be able to retire there.

      Still, it doesn’t matter where I lay my body down at night, whether I am here or on my beloved P.E.I., for the reality is that neither place would be my home for more than a short time.  I am on a fleeting part of my journey on the way to my true dwelling, a place with my Father that He has already prepared for me (hopefully where I’ll have my own soft ice cream machine, maybe a cotton candy machine, an indoor swimming pool, and…  oops! I digress  J ). 

      That place is my final, eternal and true home, one where I will see His face (Rev. 22:4), where there is no more curse (v.3), and where there will be no death, sorrow, crying or pain (Rev. 21:4).  It will be the most perfect home I could ever dream of, and I will be there with my greatest Love.  There I will truly feel at home with Him and all the variety of amazing people who love Him too.  What a wonderful sense of belonging we will have! 

What more can a girl ask for?


Now we look forward with confidence to our heavenly bodies, realizing that every moment we spend in these earthly bodies is time spent away from our eternal home in heaven with Jesus... we are not afraid, but are quite content to die, for them we will be at home with the Lord.  2 Cor. 5:6-8

FYI

For personal reasons I will not be posting again until July 1st.
I hope you will return and God will bless you through this blog.

The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and bring you peace.

Vicky

Run to Jesus

Matt. 9:18, 23 to 26- While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”

…When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.  NKJV

       Where do you run to when some trouble or trial strikes you down?  Do you run away or escape into alcohol, drugs, food, television, fantasy, work, computer fun, or one of the other many ways we have to ‘get away’.  This ruler, a man from a general class of people who hated Jesus, left the side of his family and deceased daughter to ‘run’ to Jesus.  (To be honest, I don’t know if that’s what I would do.  I might just lay down in misery unable to even move.  Past experience has shown I am not the best at fully trusting the Lord… but I am working on that.)

       This ruler came and worshipped Jesus (Strong’s: like a dog kissing his master’s hand).  He was brought ‘to his knees’ by a tragedy that would humble anyone, and instead of running away or escaping, he put all his trust in the One who could, if He so desired, heal her.  His faith was so certain that he knew even death could be overcome by the Savior.  Look at what he said.  It was not a question, but a statement:  lay Your hand on her and she will live.  What confidence there is in those words.  Just touch her and she will live…  Do we have that much faith in our Lord?

       So Jesus arrives at the man’s house, sees the crowd grieving noisily and He attempts to give them some hope which they shoot down immediately.  Many of us lose hope in tough times.  It is difficult for us to put it all into God’s hands and allow Him to be in control of the situation, trusting that He has the best intentions for us and our lives.  So, instead of belief, they ridiculed and mocked Jesus.  I’m sure some of them were thinking, ‘just who does he think he is?’ 

       The ruler knew from the start.  He had faith in the only One who could heal his daughter.  He trusted that no matter how great his problem, Jesus could overcome.*  We have the same Lord and Savior to run to when trouble hits.  He will never leave us nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5)  He is our comfort in times of trouble, (2 Cor. 1:4) and He gives us His strength to endure. (Phil. 4:13)  There is no better person in which to put our trust.**

Now we just need to remember that quickly when trouble strikes!

*John 16:33- These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

**Pr. 3:5- Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

Ps. 91:2- I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”