No Use To Unpack, We’ll Be Going Home Soon!

No use to unpack, we’ll be going home soon!

Hebrews 11: 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Some people when they go on vacation, they get to the hotel room and they unpack everything. They take it all out of the suitcase and put it into those bureaus. I think I did that once when I was staying in the same place for three weeks. But if I’m only going to be around for a week or a few days, I don’t even bother to unpack. I just leave everything in the suitcase and when I need it, I just take it out. I couldn’t be bothered to get everything settled, because I know that very soon, I’m going to have to pack it all up again. Well, you may agree or disagree with my vacationing habits that’s up to you. However, we must have this sort of way of thinking when it comes to life. Now we may be here 80 or some even 100 years, but compared with eternity, that’s just a weekend trip. If we spend our time focused on this life and this world, then we have wasted our life. Sometimes we spend our energy trying to build a comfortable or successful life here. Sometimes, it seems that we can so easily forget that we’re just passing through that we not only unpack our suitcase, but we try to decorate the hotel room too. We want to paint the walls, put in a new carpet, refinish the furniture, hang a few pictures on the wall. Who cares?! Life is too short. We’re just staying for a short trip. No time to unpack. (I read this illustration from Stephan Brown a Pastor in Charlotte, NC) I agree Pastor Stephan and thank you for your thoughts.

The older I get the more I see the earth as it really is, only a temporary stop until we reach home.

When Brenda and I were young and working every day with two boys in school, I never thought much about sickness, being in the hospital or any life threating event. About the worst sickness our little family had was maybe a cold or flu. Didn’t have time to be sick, it was work for Brenda and I and making a nice comfortable home and providing most anything that us and our boys wanted.

We unpacked so to speak. Built a nice place to stay, hung pictures and worked for our future on earth. We established our place here like most everybody else did. I’ll be very honest and say that God was working very hard with me in the 70’s and I was saved and no one can tell me I wasn’t. Besides that’s between God and me. It was Jesus who saved me and no one else. Unfortunately I followed my desires instead of my heart.

Most don’t see it when they are young but, earth is a place where we have the opportunity to reestablish our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I have many regrets in my life but, the biggest was not being obedient to the Lord as a young man. We can’t build on earth and expect it to be a life solid foundation so, we must do as the writer of Hebrews says that those great warriors of faith did... looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller www.themillersbiblestudy.com