February 25, 2010

Philippians 3: 18b-20:

"...18b many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ..."

My family and I just returned from a little getaway to the Wisconsin Dells. My in-laws have a time share condo at the Dells and we joined them out there for Sunday and Monday night. One of the best aspects of a planned vacation or getaway are the weeks and days preceding the vacation when you can look forward with anticipation to getting away, especially during those days when 'daily grind,' grinds harder than usual, it's nice to have something to look forward to.

The 2nd lesson for this upcoming Sunday is from Philippians 3, a few passages before our lesson picks up, we learn from the pen of Paul that we are to, "13b strain(ing) toward what is ahead, 14 (I) press(ing) on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called (us) me heavenward in Christ Jesus." As Christians living here in this world, we have a getaway to look forward to that will get us away from more than the daily grind, it will get us away from sin and all the effects of sin - we have Heaven to look forward to. Imagine what it would be like if you were to page through your calendar for the next month, the next year, the next eternity and have absolutely nothing on the docket, absolutely nothing to look forward to! How depressing would that be, how hopeless would that feel? The unbeliever has nothing to look forward to, eternally speaking, and so it isn't hard to understand why they easily adopt a 'live for the day philosophy' - eat, drink and be merry. "their god is their stomach ... their mind is on earthly things."

I have a friend, Brian, who was a high school classmate of mine at Fox Valley Lutheran. Brian is currently serving our country and doing a tour of duty in Iraq. Brian has been keeping in touch from his tent using Facebook and email. Just as Brian isn't settling in for the long haul in Iraq, so we don't need to focus on settling in for the long haul here on this earth. Just as Brian wants nothing more and is looking forward to nothing more than coming home to his wife and to his daughter, so we should want for nothing more and look forward to nothing more than going Home to our Creator, to our Savior and to our Faith Giver. "Our citizenship is in heaven."

I can't help but think of the hymn - it's the last one in our 'Old' hymnal (TLH #660) - "I'm But a Stranger Here, Heav'n is my Home, earth is a desert drear, Heav'n is my home. Danger and sorrow stand, round me on every hand, Heav'n is my fatherland. Heav'n is my home."

Getting away for a few days to the Dells was fun and relaxing, but there's just something nice about getting home - 'Home Sweet Home' as they say. Won't it be sweet when Jesus completes His preparations and brings us home to Him forever?

Dear God,

Please help remind us that this world isn't the end for us - our time here is not even a speck on the timeline of eternity. Help us focus our minds and hearts not on earthly things, but help us store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven. When we're having a particularly tough day here on this earth, remind us that soon we will feel like strangers no more and soon enough we will be at Home, enjoying eternity with you.

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.