OUR JOURNEY HOME

Our journey home is not just about our journey through the sky, on our way to our earthly home, but about our journey as pilgrims here, as we struggle on through life, walking with Jesus, and keeping our eyes on our heavenly home just ahead.  We walk by faith just as Abraham of old walked on seeking a better city to come. “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” Hebrews 11:16. (NKJV)

As we continued our journey through the skies on our way home, suddenly there were obstacles in our way.  This journey we walk with the Lord also may be filled with obstacles in our pathway toward our destination.  Many things come into our lives to bring discouragement and fear.  When the burdens are so heavy and our eyes are blinded by tears, we can hardly see the way ahead of us.  Are you in that place in your journey “home?”

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV  This journey is like a race, all of us running to compete for the heavenly prize, Philippians 3:14.  In this chapter of Hebrews we see the great heroes of the faith and the race they ran, and we are surrounded by their witness.  So the writer of Hebrews tells us to put aside the heavy burdens and any sin that would hinder us and run on with endurance in this race.  How do we do that?  We do that by looking up into the face of Jesus, who was the author and finisher of our faith.  He went to the cross and He could look ahead to the joy that His sacrifice would bring.  And then He sat down, the work finished, at the right hand of His Father, Praise the Lord!

Now, as my husband and I looked toward our early home, and sat out on the runway of the plane leaving Philadelphia, suddenly an announcement was made that there was an earthquake in the eastern cities, and all flights were temporarily grounded.  So there we sat, not knowing the extent of that earthquake and if we would even make our connection for our next flight out in Atlanta, Georgia. And we wondered about family that we had just visited, and we began to feel concern of not knowing what was going on outside the plane.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, through the mountains shake with its swelling”
Psalm 46:1-3 On this journey “home” God is our only refuge and strength.  And God’s Word says we are not to fear even when we hear of big earthquakes in our world, oceans roaring causing great hurricanes.  So when the “quakes” of trouble come, and great storms come and our world seems to crumble around us, our Lord is a “very present” help in all our struggles.  He promises to “never leave us or forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5b), even when we “quake” with fear and heavy heart.

We finally our on our way again, landing in Atlanta, Georgia, and literally running for our gate, and finding our seats, and our plane taxies out to the runway ready to take off.  Then another announcement!  This one tells us that there is engine trouble, and to be patient while the plane is being repaired.  So again, we are left wondering and waiting, out on the runway, if we will even make our next connection out of Los Angeles, California to arrive at home.

We waited three very long hours, all of us on that plane.  And I am sure there we many who were fearful of not making connecting flights, what would they do?    Finally, the plane is repaired and we are on our way, but when we arrived in Los Angeles, we had missed the flight home.  We were so very tired, felt lost, couldn’t seem to find anyone who could give us answers to what we should do.  We finally found some help and were put in a hotel for the night and made connections the next morning to our final destination, and we arrived home at last!

How are your connections to your heavenly home?  Even though we may miss earthly connections, it is so important to make sure our heavenly connections are secure, by knowing Jesus Christ as our own personal Lord and Savior.  But we have a blessed hope, and we know that our journey to our heavenly home will be right on the Lord’s timetable, and when we know Jesus, there won’t be any delays.  And we won’t have to run to catch our “flight home. God’s  Word promises a safe and blessed journey.  If we die before Jesus comes in the clouds, we go instantly into the presence of the Lord: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord” II Corinthians 5:7-8.

Think of that, my friends, instantly with Jesus, safe in His loving arms!  And there is the hope that we will be in the generation that meets the Lord in the air!  And what a way that will be to journey to our heavenly home!  “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words” I Thessalonians 4:16-18.

Thus, our earthly journey will be completed, and we have run the race, and home with the Lord! I do pray that on your journey, your ticket to heaven is secure, and you have your eyes looking ahead to your eternal reward with our Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Blessings,

Pastor Sharon