O! For A Home With God!

 

He was a Polish youth of sixteen who left his land-locked country, entered the French Merchant Marine, and later worked for sixteen years on British ships in every part of the world. At age thirty-eight he became an English novelist. He completed thirty novels, seven volumes of short stories and three volumes of essays. His name was Josef Korzeniowski – better known as Joseph Conrad. His background served to make him a consummate writer of sea-stories. As intriguing as these stories are, there’s something special in the way he treats landfalls and departures – a journeys beginning and ending.

There is no denying the excitement of departure with its dreams and expectations, but one leaves with one particular destination in mind. One always charts a course aiming for that one destination – maybe an island in the ocean, a single headland upon the coast of a continent, a lighthouse on a bluff, or simply the peaked form of a mountain which appears to float upon the waters. And then it appears on the expected bearing. Landfall!

But, before landfall, Conrad describes in his writings how the spirit of the ship’s commander is stirred. He is not content to stay in his stateroom but is tormented by an unconquerable restlessness. He will “go out on deck and gaze ahead, through straining eyes, as the appointed moment draws nearer.”

In my younger years, beginning my journey as a Christian, I could never understand the restlessness of many elderly saints – the eagerness they seem to have for death. Only now am I beginning to see dimly what they were looking for. Landfall! The journey’s end!

[Revelation 21:4] Heaven must be a wonderful place, where there will be no tears, no pain, no more death, nor no sorrow. Surely everyone who believes in heaven wants to go there. But we hear people say, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, we’re all going to the same place.” Strange as it may seem, we are all going to the same place. We are all on our way to meet God in the judgement! “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement” (Hebrews 9:27). The most important question is: How can I prepare to meet Him, so that God will say to me, “…Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:31-46).

Men say there are many ways to heaven; let each person chose their own way. Jesus taught there is only one way – His way – the way of faith and obedience. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John14:6). Paul wrote: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

The Hebrew writer states: “And having been perfected, He (Christ) became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…” (Hebrews 5:9). Jesus said: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16); also “…Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). All who continue to live in faithful obedience to the Word of Christ are on the way to heaven, with its dreams and expectations encouraging them to keep their eyes on the horizon for sight of our Lord’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:10).

  “O! for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest; Sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest; Rest for a weary soul once redeemed by the Savior’s love; Where I’ll be pure and whole and live with my God above.” (Alone at Eve – Thos. R. Sweatmon / Will W. Slater) Are you ready for Judgement Day? It may be coming sooner than you think!