Children of God, what does that mean? Does it mean that we deserve all the best? Does it mean that we are always protected and that no one will harm us? Does it mean that troubles will never come my way and that I will live in the wealth of this world and will prosper? No, it means that this world is not our home. Although our Father is watching after us we are still immersed into a world that is not our home. Have you ever visited a foreign land? I have only been able to travel to the Bahamas, Canada, and Mexico as a tourist and was privileged to travel through customs. Going through customs was not really a privilege but more of a hassle and something I really didn’t enjoy. Although I know they need to be there and I am thankful that they are, it still makes me uneasy and I realize that I am not in my homeland. My travels has been more in the stories my children who have traveled to Europe and East Asia have told me. We had an exchange student, who we consider another daughter who was from China and she gave us her perceptive of her homeland. I had a student in my school who was from Israel. I have always been a little afraid of traveling there because I hear about all the fighting but he views his home country as safe. Some of you reading this blog are from a country other than the United States and I welcome you with open arms, I am so pleased that you are here. If you were to come to the United States, how would you feel? Or if you are from the United States and you went to another country how would you feel? One of my daughters was immersed into another country for a year and told us that she knew exactly how her sister from China felt when she was in our home. It feels different, it just isn’t home. The people around you may be very nice and help you out but it is still not home. The longer you are there, the more comfortable you feel and then all of a sudden you go back home and you have to learn your own culture all over again. I have never been in that situation but I am in one situation very similar to that. I am living on this earth but my home is in Heaven. My real home is a place that I am not familiar with except from what I read in the Bible. It is kind of like a foreign country but it is home and I will live there much longer than I will ever inhabit this earth, I Peter 2:11-12 “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. (12) Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”
I have been convicted lately by the way I always think I deserve certain things from this earthly home. I work hard and I deserve to be recognized or I did not deserve to be treated that way. But in actuality I do not “deserve” to be a child of God. He has given me that gift and I should continually thank Him for that gift, praise His name, and serve Him. Sometimes we praise God solely on what He has done for us not for who He is. In I Peter 2:9 it states, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” Today I found a song that is saying what I am trying to say,
It is entitled All My Heart and the words are quoted below:
“All of my heart here to love You,
And all of my soul here to praise You,
All of my life I lay before Your throne.
Glory to You, loving Father,
And Praises to You, my Lord and Savior,
Mercy and grace to me You have made known.
Praise to You, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
You're the One to whom I cry.
You alone, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
Now in praise be lifted high.
You Lord my God are over all!
I have received life eternal;
Saved by Your grace, I live forever;
Surrounded by love, I know that You are there.
Free of my sin, I'm free to serve You;
Free to begin a life to please You;
All of my days, I'm ever in Your care.
Praise to You, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
You're the One to whom I cry.
You alone, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
Now in praise be lifted high.
Praise to You, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
You're the One to whom I cry.
You alone, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
Now in praise be lifted high.
You Lord my God are over all!
You Lord my God are over all!
You Lord my God are over all!”
And all of my soul here to praise You,
All of my life I lay before Your throne.
Glory to You, loving Father,
And Praises to You, my Lord and Savior,
Mercy and grace to me You have made known.
Praise to You, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
You're the One to whom I cry.
You alone, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
Now in praise be lifted high.
You Lord my God are over all!
I have received life eternal;
Saved by Your grace, I live forever;
Surrounded by love, I know that You are there.
Free of my sin, I'm free to serve You;
Free to begin a life to please You;
All of my days, I'm ever in Your care.
Praise to You, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
You're the One to whom I cry.
You alone, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
Now in praise be lifted high.
Praise to You, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
You're the One to whom I cry.
You alone, God Above,
My Redeemer and Father that I love;
Now in praise be lifted high.
You Lord my God are over all!
You Lord my God are over all!
You Lord my God are over all!”
Copyright © 1997 by Elton Smith and Larry Holder
As you seek Him I pray that you will praise Him for who He is, the one that is over all! I pray that you will serve Him, the one over all! I pray that you will feel as aliens to this world because your home is in Heaven with Him, our Heavenly Father, the one over all!
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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