Not My Home

In a few weeks the year 2012 will be over, well unless you believe the Mayans knew what they were talking about & the world "ends" on December 21st.  A few days into January, the calendar will remind me that I will be a older  As I see more gray in my hair, which I do cover, I now see a few in my eyebrows, along with the wrinkles around my lips, the spider veins on my legs, etc.  While  putting on  makeup yesterday, as I use a 10x magnifying mirror to see all those "flaws" close up, the thought came to me: This is NOT my home.
       That phrase is used often by Christ Followers in reference to living here on earth as opposed to one day being in Heaven. Yet, it also applies to this earthly shell we are contained in that in Heaven will be flaw free with no more disease, pain or tears.  What a glorious thought, but often hard to grasp or be content with while we are here dealing with the process of aging.
       If you are like me, you try not to complain, but I find even the little physical issues annoying.  I just want to feel good ALL the time.  Often I am quickly reminded of others who are suffering much more & I feel a twinge of guilt for being so selfish/whiny or whatever you want to call it. 
      I truly am grateful that my aches &  pains are few & minimal, thanking God for His mercy upon me.  I know full well it is undeserved.  Sometimes, in my heart, I feel my thankfulness sounds so trite to the Lord & it bothers me.  Yet His Word clearly says in I Thessalonians 5:16-22  "Be JOYful always, pray continually, give thanks in ALL circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
      Whether it is our bodies or our house that we reside in, both are deteriorating.  BUT the GOOD NEWS for Christ Followers is found in many Scriptures.  Here are just a few & they are truly something to be JOYful about:

II Corinthians 5:1,2  Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.   For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 

I Corinthians 15:53,54  For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. When this happens -- when our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die -- then at last the Scriptures will come true: "Death is swallowed up in victory.

Philippians 3:20 " But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ"
Revelation 21:3-5  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be his people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.   He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

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Trust Me

     Oh how often we hear those words during the political cycle, but they are also insinuated about so many other things in commercials, magazine ads, by news anchors and on and on.  Whenever I hear those words whether spoken or "unspoken" the pic I posted is the one I visualize.  
     We teach our children to trust what we say and, out of respect, to believe what their teachers and Pastors also say.  At some point in our lives and theirs a decision needs to be made.  As the old TV show said, "Who Do You Trust?"
     Because of fallen human nature - i.e. sin - at some point along the way people will fail us - from family, friends, co-workers, employers and even members of the Clergy.  There is only One that can be trusted to do what He said He would do - God, the Father of our Savior Jesus Christ.  The Bible calls us to be Bereans:  Acts 17: 11   Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
     The Bearans did not take Paul's word for it, but searched God's Word to gain full knowledge of what was being said.  I pray that we do the same, asking for God to give us His Wisdom and Discernment as we seek to know His Truth.  Many things are not directly addressed in the Bible but there are precepts that clearly tell us where we should stand or how we should respond to what the world tells us.
     May I simply leave you with the Word of God in these uncertain times.  

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in Me."    John 14:1

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.   Romans 15:13

Those who know Your Name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken 

those who seek You.   Psalm 9:10

But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation.  Psalm 13:5