A House to Abide In…

To abide means to dwell. Where do you dwell? For most of us, our homes are a mark of the values we have placed on our lives. Whether we live in a mobile home, apartment, house, or community building, our home is where we find comfort, solace, and protection … or at least it should be. I realize it is not that way for everyone. And for those who it is not, my heart goes out to you, and I pray you can find someone to help you make the needed changes or escape the areas of violence and decay in your life.

When you think about your home, what about it makes you smile? Is it a material item? Is it the people that fill it? Is it an emotion that fills the space? What about your home brings you joy to the point that you smile just thinking about it? Most of us have filled our homes with possessions and material objects that bring us joy, make us smile, or things that have been inherited and passed down from one family member to another. For me, there are many things about my home and property that make me smile. But the ones at the top of the list are the people and the memories that fill my home. It’s the return of my husband after a long day at work; it’s the quilts my Mom has made for me, the heirlooms passed down from my family that I now own, and the family meals broken and shared around my table (that is now in my hands after two generations before me). Those things and memories make me smile and bring me instant joy. 

But did you know that there’s another place that should fill your heart with even more abundant and overflowing joy? Those who make their home in God will always have a place to ABIDE, to dwell, to live forever. It doesn’t matter if your roof needs replaced, the shower leaks, you need a table to eat at, or your house is always a mess. God’s house is always perfect, always ready. There’s always a safe place to store your heart, mind, body, & soul. He cares for you. You are His child, and He wants to provide for you, just like a loving Father should always want to do for His children. 

God can provide us with comfort, peace, protection, strength, grace, mercy, and all the resources we need that the world often fails to deliver. It is in and through Him that we must abide. Our homes and entrapments here are lovely. But they pale compared to the unconditional love, forgiveness, and mercy that God can and will provide. Does that mean that I want to lose any of what God has blessed me with? No. I recognize that everything I have comes from Him. I recognize that without Him, I am nothing … but I also acknowledge that God is in control and I am not. So, I am at His mercy. The things He has given me are for my comfort and enjoyment. I am blessed. I am thankful. My life has many challenges and difficulties. But God has given me the strength and diligence to deal with those difficulties and challenges most days.

Let us keep in mind that God’s home never deteriorates. Jesus said He was going ahead of us to prepare a place for us in God’s house [John 14:1-3]! It’s a perfect house, with rooms for all who believe. God’s roof never needs to be replaced, His pipes never burst, the appliances never die, and the flooring is always top-notch. God’s home doesn’t have or need any of those things; but even if it did, they’d never need replaced. We never have to be displaced from God’s eternal, enduring love and support. Did you catch that? You, His child, are always welcome. All you have to do is accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It’s just that easy. God’s door to Heaven is always open for you. For all this life and the next, those who make their home in God through His Son, Jesus, always have a place to abide.