HOME IS WHERE THE
HEART IS
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As a child, growing up on the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada, I treasured the twilight hours. Chores were done, lamps were lit, supper was over, and the family gathered in that cozy farm home for an evening of fun, stories and evening prayers. To me there was no other place quite like it. Spurgeon once said: "Every bird loves its own nest. The owl thinks the old ruins the fairest spot under the moon, and the fox is of the opinion that his hole in the hill is remarkably cozy. I like to see the smoke out of my own chimney better than the fire on another man’s hearth." The prodigal son must have felt that way as he left the pigsty and headed for home. He had found no satisfaction in the husks and the pleasures of sin. His heart was drawn toward his father’s house. But it wasn’t the building or the possessions that attracted him, it was a relationship. He said, "I will arise and go to my father." One of the most important things a parent can do is to establish loving and meaningful relationships. That’s what makes a house a home. And the relationship that supercedes all others is our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is He who indeed makes a home a heaven on earth. A Christian home is a delightful dwelling because it is:
1. A Christian home is a delightful dwelling because it is hallowed by God’s presence. It matters not whether it is a house on the prairie, an apartment, a mansion, a condominium, a cabin in the woods, a cottage in the valley, a shack on the mountain, or even a hospital room. When the Lord Jesus is in residence it becomes a hallowed and holy sanctuary.
The word "dwell" means to "sit down and make ones self at home" in the presence of God, in the holy of holies. There we "abide under the shadow of the Almighty." The word "abide" literally means "to pass the night." It suggests a place of refuge in the midst of darkness, a shelter in the time of storm. The Psalmist goes on to say in verse two, "The Lord is my refuge and my fortress. My God, in Him will I trust." Only as we dwell in that intimate and holy place can we experience the joy of abiding "under the Shadow of the Almighty." Only as we walk close to someone is it possible for that person’s shadow to fall on us. No expression more perfectly describes the nearness of God than to "abide under His shadow." Solomon said, "I sat down under His shadow with great delight" (Song of Solomon 2:3). He had no desire to leave, but wanted to abide there forever. It is this very real and precious presence of Christ that hallows a dwelling, any dwelling, where He is recognized, honored and obeyed in loving communion. My mother at age ninety-one would often remark, "I may be alone, but I’m never lonely." Christ was in residence in her heart and her dwelling. She was abiding moment-by-moment "under the shadow of the Almighty." A motto graced the walls of our prairie home. It read:
Family worship was a priority time each day when we as a family would meet with God. We were taught to read His Word and pray. Early in life we placed our trust in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. We learned that He was a close friend and that He wanted to share in everything aspect of our lives. Prayer ought to be a vital part of private and family life. Never underestimate the power of prayer. No son or daughter or grandchild is too far from God or too deep in sin for God to hear the heart cry of God-fearing praying parents and grandparents.
Dr. R.A. Torrey often testified of the influence his praying parents had on his life. He said, "I grew up in a godly home, but I was ungodly. I reached young manhood ungodly, unsaved, with my mother’s words ringing in my ears. ‘Reuben, when the way is dark, son, call upon God, call upon God.’ I wandered far, farther than I had ever dreamed that I could wander. Then one night in a hotel room I planned to commit suicide. As I made preparations, there came flashing into my mind the words of my darling mother, ‘Reuben, when the hour is dark, son, call upon God, call upon God.’ Instead of taking my life, I gave my life to the Lord Jesus." Dr. Torrey subsequently became superintendent of what is now the Moody Bible Institute, and for several years served as pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago. He founded the Montrose Bible Conference, and authored forty Bible study books which have blessed thousands of Christians. All of this because of a mother’s influence and prayer life. 2. A Christian home is delightful because it is ordered by God’s Word.
The Word of God should "dwell in us." Literally, it means to "take up residence" in our hearts and home. It suggests "total home access"—the kitchen, living room, TV room, and every other room, including the closets. The Bible has everything we need for building and rebuilding our homes. Many homes are in desperate need of repair. Two neighbors were visiting a couple in their newly completed home. "It is very nice," commented one visitor, "but I don’t see why you call this type of house a bungalow." "Well," explained the owner, "we just don’t know what else to call it. The job was bungled, and we still owe for it." Indeed, a home not built on the Word of God can easily be ‘‘bungled’’ and become very costly. "Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom." We need wisdom in our relationships. Parents need wisdom in raising their children in discipline and love. It is one thing to hear the Word of God, and another thing to do it. God exhorts us to be "doers of the Word and not hearers only" (James 1:22).
God honors His Word. His principles do work, but they must be obeyed. It will require sacrifice on our part, and it will mean getting our priorities straightened out. Parents ought to be concerned with providing shelter, food and clothing for their children, but what about those things that cannot be purchased with money—your time, your friendship, and your participation in their activities? Dr. James Jeremiah told the story of a mechanic who, after a hard day’s work, was seen by a friend playing baseball with his son. The friend asked, "Bill, aren’t you tired?" "Why, yes, I am. Of course I’m tired." "Well, what under the sun are you doing that for?" asked the friend. "You’re going to end up with a backache for sure." "Oh," he said, "I’d rather have the backache now than the heartache later on." What will it really matter if we get everything in this world for our children and they die and go out into eternity without Christ? Politicians ask, "What kind of world are we going to leave for our young people?" Let’s rather ask the question: "What sort of youth are we going to bequeath to the world? Will they be godless, secularistic, selfish, materialistic?" They will be, unless we reach them for Christ. Our homes need to get back to basics and the absolutes of life as found in the Word of God. 3. A Christian home is delightful because it is motivated by God’s love.
Paul is talking here about agape love, God’s kind of love. It is different than human love. Human love is based on feelings. It has limits, and it can be totally lost, regardless of how strong it is. God’s kind of love, agape love, is action. It is not based on feelings. It is a sacrificial love. It is unconditional. It is a choice we make. God’s love is something I do, regardless of how I feel. The benefits of love are listed in 1 Corinthians 13 and include "patience, humility, good manners, purity, honesty, trust, hope, and endurance." This kind of compassion and caring is desperately needed in our homes and our churches! In seven instances we read of our Lord that "He was moved with compassion," and in every case He was so moved that He did something definite to meet the need. The sight of suffering always stirred Him. We must let that same love of Christ constrain us to reach out to others. Calvary love is someone else’s pain in my heart." "Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2). "Put on love, which is a bond of perfectness." Christ-like love will bring wholeness and maturity to relationships.
4. A Christian home is delightful because it is encircled by God’s protection.
"There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come near thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 91:10,11). Notice the Psalmist says the angels are "charged." They have a strict command from the throne! God is saying to the angels, "I charge you not to stir from their houses. I charge you not to stir from that apartment, that little frame house on the prairies, that bedside, that hospital room. I charge you to protect my children in all their ways." My wife’s mother has often commented, "If the God of the universe cannot take care of me, who can?" Dr. Allan Redpath summed it up beautifully: "There is nothing, no circumstance, no trouble, no testing that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But, as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift my eyes to His and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstances will cause me to fret — for I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is. That is the rest of victory!" Recently, our daughter Wendy asked the thought-provoking question, "When God pierces us, do we bring out vinegar or honey?" The Lord Jesus wants to be first in our lives. He wants to be Lord of all. That’s why He says, "My son, give me thine heart" (Proverbs 23:16). He is saying, "Let Me be the center of your affections."
When Jesus Christ becomes the love of your life and the treasure of your heart, then anywhere you dwell will be home, sweet home. Your residence will be a sacred sanctuary because He is there. That’s a guarantee! You are assured of:
Night time is settling upon this world. Beloved, it’s dark and getting darker. Jesus said in John 9:4, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is yet day, for night cometh when no man can work." Dwellings are needed that are sanctified, set apart for the Master’s use. Homes are needed where Jesus Christ is Lord, homes that glow with a message of hope and faith, homes where mothers and fathers and grandparents and young people begin to think in terms of eternity. The story is told of a farmer who had an only son whose conversion was the subject of daily prayer. Special evangelistic meetings were scheduled at the church, but the farmer had not yet finished the seeding of his land. Regardless, he invited his family to go to the first meeting. "But, Dad," said the boy, "you aren’t going to leave the field unseeded? It will never be in as good form again this season." "The field will have to take its chances," replied the father. "The meetings have first place." The son was converted. Less than a year later he lay dying, and as the father bent over him, the boy’s arms went around his neck, and with shining face he drew him close. "Oh, Dad," he whispered, "I am so glad you let the field wait." Have you placed your trust in Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? Jesus said, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man open the door I will come in and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). If you do not know Christ as your Savior, trust Him today and receive Him into your heart. Invite Him to reign as Sovereign Lord in your life and home. Then your heart, too, can be focused on that home beyond the sunset where we "shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." "Home
is where the heart is," But this old
world is not my home, The
sanctuary we may find How grateful
we can be to God I thank the
Lord for showing us A place
where "Welcome" always stands, A place
where someone that you love How
wonderful a home can be, Jesus has
the perfect home His welcome
smile and open arms Our Lord
waits on the doorstep —Wendy Greiner Lefko |
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