"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you." --I Peter 1:1-3 When we were suddenly displaced from our home in Uganda and we moved back to our passport country, we were keenly aware that we weren’t home. It still causes wonder in my heart to ponder how much we feel displaced. We’re living in the house I grew up in. The other day, I even absentmindedly walked into my childhood bedroom when I was intending to go to my room! I keep telling myself that it seems like it should be easier to make this space home. But realistically, it’s going to take a while. But I’m thankful for this time. It’s a gift to feel like an exile for a bit. Our immediate exile has become a sharp reminder of our Christ-following exile. We just went through Peter’s letters for family devotions. The wonder of trials is that so much of Scripture washes over my soul in fresh ways. Being pressed in by the world helps press out new insights…so many things that I would have never noticed if it weren’t for the new eyesight that the hard has brought. What I saw the other night was this: Peter wrote to the elect exiles: people who weren’t at home where they lived. Peter’s exiles did have a home, it just wasn’t in Asia Minor. They had a heavenly residence that wasn’t theirs…yet. The hope for us is that, because of Christ, we’re on the same path as Peter’s exiles. Their comfort is our comfort as we travel, and the comfort is this: the path we’re on is directed according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Yup. God ordained this journey of ours. It’s not merely the choices of others that put us on this path, ultimately it was the choice of my heavenly Father. Why would he do that to us? So we could be sanctified, or made ready for our new home. So we would learn obedience to our Savior, and so we could glory in the Christ’s work on the cross that makes us ready to reach heaven. Every step of this past year has been under the foreknowledge of God the Father. Every step has been for our sanctification in the Spirit. Every step has brought greater obedience to Christ. And every step has brought more glory to Christ’s finished work on the cross as we have been continually made more fit for heaven. As much as we don’t always like feeling our “home-lessness,” when it gets down to it, it’s been a stimulus for grace and peace being multiplied to us. And for that, I think we will remain continually thankful as we live out our days as exiles and, all the more, as we move to our real home for all of eternity.
1 Comment
|
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 Archives
August 2020
Categories
All
|