I don’t know about you, but I have experienced being homesick a few times in my life. Now as I describe homesickness, I want you to know it is a relative term as it relates to me personally. Let me see if I can illustrate this by way of a story. When I finished all my rudimentary training in the Marines, which included basic training, ITR training, and Motor Vehicle School, I was given a thirty day leave to go home after being away for six months. But all through my training I never experienced homesickness, not one bit. Six months away from home was not a struggle for me. It wasn’t until I met Linda that I would find out what homesickness was all about. We spent a lot of time together over those days of military leave and when I reported for duty at my first duty station in North Carolina, I quickly became homesick for the first time in my life. I became homesick for a place and for a person. I missed her, I wanted to be where Linda was, more than being at my first duty assignment.
Over the months that followed, I moved into a comfortable rhythm of work, more schooling, and the overall day to day dealings with military life. As time went on, I felt less homesick because my schedule didn’t leave enough time for thoughts of home, Linda, and family. Basically, my new life as a Marine superseded any feelings I had about life somewhere else. So, like any good Marine, I took my mind off what I left behind and dealt with what I was doing at the moment.
In the book, “The Valley of Vision” speaking of faith—one writer pens these words, “It should scale the heavens, but lies groveling in the dust.” Let me ask a question. Have you ever experienced being homesick for Heaven? It must seem like a strange question to you, because it does to me. Here is a fact to consider. None of us have actually seen heaven first hand. I know there are some that have claimed it and we do know Bible characters that have seen heaven or had a glimpse of Paradise. But I don’t believe anyone living today has been transported to the throne room of God, at least in my limited knowledge. And those that claim they have I am a little skeptical about their experience. But what I do know, is that the Bible has plenty of descriptions as it concerns our faith and a place called Heaven.
For my Bible study time, I have been working on the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ. As I work through the first three chapters, I find myself on familiar ground, as I read about the seven different churches that Jesus is talking about. But then, as I read chapter four, I see a change in my mind as to the reality of something I am struggling to grasp a mental picture of. The Apostle John at this point is suddenly placed in front of a door, standing open in heaven. He hears a voice saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” John then describes an encounter like no other in a place he had never been before. “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.” (4:2)
No wonder, the beloved apostle fell at Jesus’ feet as though he were a dead man (1:17). Who among us would not have the same reaction. It is a good thing that John was in the Spirit when he entered the throne room of God, or he would have fainted again. For myself, even after reading Revelation Four repeatedly, I find it extremely difficult to put into words as a common man, trying to describe what I see in my heart language. Yet, my mind races to conjure up an image of One sitting on His throne with a display of brilliance all around Him. Think of all the greatest treasures ever discovered on this planet, and multiply it by a gazillion, and it wouldn’t come close to what the beloved apostle saw.
But then, as I re-read the prayer on the topic of faith in the book Valley of Vision this line stands out, “Thy bounteous goodness has helped me believe, but my faith is weak and wavering, its light dim, its steps tottering, its increase slow, its backsliding frequent; It should scale the heavens, but lies groveling in the dust.”
At first, when I read this prayer, I said to my Lord, “That’s not me Lord, far be it, that I should have such weak faith!” But it was at that time the Spirit convicted me of the sin of disbelief. Let me say this about faith and the homesickness we should feel for a place called Heaven. We will never see our faith grow nor be homesick for the reality of Heaven if we are still groveling in the dust for our physical and spiritual existence. Why do we place so much emphasis on our daily existence, when we know that something greater awaits us in the near future? Why are we still graveling in the dust when we should be scaling the heavens?
I don’t know if I have answers to these questions, but I have at least one personal observation that concerns me and my attitude toward Heaven.
My faith totters when I see more of me, and less of Heaven and the One who sits at the right hand of God. It is so easy for me to become self-focused, rather than Christ-centered, selfish, rather than selfless, and self-absorbed rather than, attentive to the needs of others. Yet, when I am focused on King of kings and Lord of lords, when I see a clear path into Heaven’s throne room, I stop groveling and the dust settles and all of the sudden I become homesick for a place I have only seen with my eyes of faith, written in my heart language. What happened? Christ happened, the Conquering King, the Lion of Judah, the Great I AM, happened. And as He sits at the right hand of God, we wait for His return, His Heaven, and we wait in faith with homesick hearts, because we want to be with the One we long for, the One who holds us in His hand, the One who will not let go.
The writer of this prayer written in the Valley of Vision, ends with these words; “Lord, awake faith to put forth its strength until all heaven fills my soul and all impurity is cast out.” Amen!
The Apostle John writes, After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” (Rev.4:1)
This is Pastor Pat, from Behind The Pen, wishing you Joy in Jesus!