It’s Important to Remember: We’re Not Home Yet

After traveling – whether on a business trip, a vacation, or a visit with family – have you ever thought about the words of the old song: “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home”? 

Believe it or not, that tune is nearly 200 years old. According to my favorite library substitute, Wikipedia, it was adapted from an 1823 opera by American actor and dramatist John Howard Payne. Of course, in “The Wizard of Oz,” Judy Garland’s character, Dorothy, utters the unforgettable words, “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”

Most of us can relate. Home is where we feel most comfortable, where we feel we belong. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to stay at some plush hotels and resorts, but they never had the relaxing, welcoming feeling of “home.”

But have you ever stayed long enough somewhere that it started to feel like a second home? My freshman year of college, instead of staying on campus I lived with my uncle, aunt and cousins. For about nine months, their home did seem like my own. I took part in family activities and household chores; I had my own room, and could come and go as needed. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t really “home.”

I’m thinking about this because of another familiar song I heard recently, “Not Home Yet,” by Steven Curtis Chapman. In many respects, this world into which we were born and have lived for so many years seems like home. When changes occur to our “home” we don’t favor, we feel unsettled. It’s almost like a stranger coming into our house and rearranging the furniture, painting the walls a different color, and making other changes. “Hey, what are you doing to my home?!” we would shout. 

However, as the lyrics to Chapman’s song remind us, “We are not home yet. Keep looking ahead. Let our hearts not forget. We are not home yet.”

That’s not a thought original to him, of course. The Scriptures remind us of this repeatedly. Writing to believers in ancient Corinth, the apostle Paul gave them the assurance,“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Even as familiar as we’ve become with life on earth, in essence he’s telling us, “You ain’t seen nothin' yet!”

As the day of His crucifixion was nearing, Jesus Christ offered His closest followers these words of promise: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house there are many rooms…. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come take and take me with you that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3).

We can find those words comforting as we observe a world that seems increasingly chaotic and out of control. “What are we to do?” we wonder as we wring our hands in frustration and fear. Our biblical ancestors probably felt much the same at times. For them, it was essential to remember their real eternal home – and that this wasn’t it.

Citing numerous examples of men and women of great faith, Hebrews 11:13 says, “they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” There’s been a great debate in our country over illegal aliens, about who’s entitled to live here and who’s not. Although we’re not residing on this earthly orb illegally, as God’s children we’re still “stranger and exiles.”

In 1 Chronicles 29:15, as he was preparing to pass along the kingship of Israel to his son, Solomon, King David declared, “We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow….”

Another passage points to the same reality. In reminding believers living in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia that they were “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,” the apostle Peter exhorted, “I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

He then explained why this is so crucial: “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” (1 Peter 2:-12).

I’m as guilty as anyone of forgetting this, but we’re not to become so immersed in this world we can see, touch, hear, smell and taste that we lose sight of where – as children of God – home really is. Because, as another adage tells us, “Home is where the heart is.”

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

Do you remember Gomer Pyle, the cuddly sitcom character portrayed by Jim Nabors? As a naïve Southern bumpkin blissfully navigating life as a U.S. Marine, Gomer often greeted his sometimes-friend, sometimes-nemesis, Sgt. Carter, by announcing. “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” in his hayseed accent.

Well, I’ve been wondering if, when we get to Heaven, and someone like Gomer Pyle were there to greet us, whether we’d also be welcomed with the words, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”

If there’s a Heaven – and I have no doubt about that – we can only speculate what it will be like. The Bible speaks quite a bit about it. Randy Alcorn actually wrote a 560-page book, appropriately named Heaven, detailing what he believes the Scriptures tell us. But as it states in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." At best, as a popular MercyMe song expresses, we can only imagine.

So we can expect many surprises when we get there, things far beyond human comprehension. Someone has said we’ll likely be surprised by who we see there, who we don’t see there, and – once the reality of being in the presence of our holy God has sunk in – even surprised and overwhelmed with gratitude that He allowed us to be there.

But there’s another kind of surprise I’m anticipating, one suggested by another tune from years ago, “Thank You,” by Ray Boltz. The song’s refrain, “Thank you for giving to the Lord,” is repeated – referring to giving not only money but also time, prayer and care.

Envision a scenario in which a tour guide, if not Gomer Pyle then maybe someone like Joey Tribbiani in the sitcom, “Friends.” He welcomes us saying, with a big smile, “Hi, how ya doin’?” Then he commences to give the proverbial cook’s tour of the celestial realms. Afterward he asks something like, “So, do you see anyone you know?” We look around and recognize faces of old friends and loved one who arrived before us. As we continue glancing around, other faces seem somewhat familiar, but not as easy to identify.

After we’ve finished spotting people from our temporal lives, the guide – or perhaps the Lord Himself – starts introducing us to people we never met face to face, but whose lives were touched by something we said or did, maybe things we don’t even recall or weren’t aware of at the time.

The Boltz song describes people that gave to support missionaries, performed acts of generosity and compassion, taught a Sunday school class, or invested in someone’s life in other ways.

There’s no limit to how we can have a positive, everlasting impact in the life of another person, simply by saying or doing what God impresses upon our hearts to do. One biblical truth not often mentioned is that in heaven there will be rewards, bestowed in recognition of faithful service and stewardship of the gifts and resources God entrusted to us on earth.

For instance, 2 Corinthians 5:10 states, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” The Bible clearly asserts our eternal destiny is solely “by grace through faith…and not by works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). But there still will be accountability for how we lived.

So what has God placed in your hands to use in serving others? What opportunities is He sending so you can reflect the presence of Christ to other people? When the day comes, who might be waiting to say “thank you” for something you did – or said? What will be your “surprise, surprise, surprise”?

The Eyes, It Seems, Definitely Have It

This is the time of year – for a couple of weeks, or maybe just a few days – when many of us can feast on a wonderful variety of golds, oranges and reds as leaves of the trees turn colors before finally turning loose. On a recent trip to Columbus, Ohio the autumn hues were at their peak, and driving back home through the hills of Kentucky I felt tempted many times to stop the car so I could capture the seasonal array with my camera.

It’s hard to rank our five senses in order of importance or preference, but eyesight has to be at or near the top, especially at times like this when Mother Nature (I prefer to give credit to God) creates such a wondrous panorama. I was reminded of this recently while talking with a friend about eye problems he’s dealing with that likely will require specialized medical treatment. The thought of losing one’s sight, or having it markedly diminished, is not a pleasant prospect.

Few sights are more spectacular or delightful
than the splendid colors of fall.

With Thanksgiving and Christmas drawing near, the sights of the season will only intensify in splendor. Creativity, both natural and manmade, will again be taking center stage.

There are those, of course, who would contend such majestic vistas are merely the culmination of countless eons of time, chance and chaos. Frankly, I don’t have enough faith to believe such foolishness. I’m convinced the wondrous sights we feast on daily are integral to God’s divine plan, and have been from the beginning.

In Genesis 2:9 it says, “And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eyes and good for food.” And why were they made “pleasing to the eyes”? So we would find them attractive and be drawn to them. They were part of His way of providing food, and as the first man and woman approached the eye-pleasing vegetation, they discovered equally appealing fruit and, holy moley!, found that it tasted good as well.

However, at the same time God was telling us that just because something catches the eye, that doesn’t mean we have the right to lay claim to it. This was the case with “the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” He told Adam and Eve, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:16-17). They probably initially answered, “Yes, Lord,” but before long began wondering what was so special about that particular tree that God didn’t want them to touch it. It might even have been the most splendid-looking tree of all in the garden.

Like little children today that are instructed not to touch something, the first Mr. and Mrs. defied their instructions and sampled the forbidden fruit anyway. And the rest, as they say, is history. To this day we find ourselves being tripped up by the attractiveness of things we see that we know we’re not supposed to have. One of the 10 commandments even states, “You shall not covet…anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17), because God knows if we see something that appeals to us – whether it’s someone’s car, house, golf clubs, or even their spouse – we’re inclined to declare, “I want that!”

Job in the Bible is remembered for enduring great losses and suffering with “patience,” but in defending his actions to his friends, he acknowledged the perils of responding to what he saw without restraint. He declared, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman” (Job 31:1).

Both men and women are influenced by all senses, but studies have shown that men are especially affected by sight. This is one reason 1 John 2:16 warns against “the lust of the eyes…(which) comes not from the Father but from the world.” The Bible tells us it’s acceptable to appreciate beauty in all its forms, but we’re to “keep our eyes to ourselves” and limit looks of desire to our spouses only.

Of course, concerning what we see around us, the Scriptures also assure us that “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” We’re told, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). To me that’s like the Lord saying, “Go ahead, enjoy the fall colors. Delight in the festive sights of Thanksgiving and Christmas. But trust me, you can’t begin to imagine what I’ve got in store for you.” I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see!

A Tale of Two Babies

“If it can’t be tested and studied and proved, it must not be real.” This is a common mantra of those who choose not to believe in God, or a life beyond this one. It’s true we cannot prove the existence of God empirically, but neither can one disprove His existence. In our material world there is no methodology for quantifying the spiritual.

“There is no evidence,” the atheist declares. “It’s fable, fantasies, foolishness, fiction, fairy tales!” (Notice the convenient use of “f” words?) The non-believer insists what can’t be seen, touched, heard, observed or measured can’t exist. Only things tangible and testable are real, they contend. Thus, we must bow with unquestioning obedience to the scientific method. On the other hand, devout followers of Christ are as certain of His existence as they are of leaves on a tree, the rising and setting sun, or a mother bird hovering over a nest containing her newly hatched babies.

This unborn infant, at the end of its first trimester,
cannot imagine what lies six months hence.

Recently I came across a little allegory that addresses this seeming conundrum, this “faith vs. fact” conflict. I don’t know the original source, so apologies for not giving credit where it’s due, but this little story is worth repeating. You could say it’s “from the mouths of babes”:

In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other, “Do you believe in life after delivery?” The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”


“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?” The second answered, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”


The first responded, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery isn’t logical.”
 The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”


Indignant, the first baby replied, “Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”
 "Well, I don’t know about that,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”


To this the first reacted, “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists, then where is She now?”
 The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.”


The first womb-mate sniffed, “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical to conclude that She doesn’t exist.”
 To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”

Jesus, nearing the end of His earthly ministry, was interacting with His listeners: "’Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him. ’Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read, '’From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?”’" (Matthew 21:16).

The Scriptures also assure that what the future holds for His followers is something far beyond human imagining. “As it is written, “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). The prophet Isaiah added, “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him”  (Isaiah 64:4).

Some might say, “Sorry, but I just can’t see it.” The good news is we don’t have to – but one day we will.

Questions We Wonder About

Years ago Art Linkletter hosted a TV show called “House Party,” and the most popular segment was called “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” In this part of his show, Linkletter would ask little kids simple questions, such as “What is the first thing you would do if you were President?” or “When the four-alarm bell rings, what is the first thing a fireman does?” or “How does your daddy help your mom around the house?” And then he would wait for their candid, always touching, and sometimes hilarious responses.

Any of us that have had children, and grandchildren, if you’re lucky, know they also like to ask questions. A father said his young daughter asked him this: “Dada, what type of underwear will we wear when we go to heaven?” Now, isn’t that a question you’ve wondered about yourself?

Okay, maybe you haven’t been all that concerned over whether we’ll wear Fruit of the Looms or Hanes, boxers or briefs. But don’t you sometimes pause to consider, if there really is a life after this one – and I’m convinced there is – what it will be like?

The theatrical film, “Heaven Is For Real,” has just been released. I haven’t seen it yet, but did read the book by Todd Burpo it’s based on, and if nothing else, it’s provocative. Numerous other books on the same theme have been written, from 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper, a minister, to Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon. While not offering empirical proof, these books drawn from personal experiences are intriguing.

What's heaven going to be like?
We can only imagine.

We’ve all seen artwork of people in heaven reclining on clouds, and cartoons of angelic-looking folks floating around with harps in their hands. Those images might be okay for a brief vacation, but for most of us, if that’s all heaven is about, we’re not sure that would be the way we’d like to spend eternity.

So can we know what heaven will be like? Frankly, I don’t think so. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, our ability to understand eternal, spiritual existence is about as limited as trying to explain to an unborn child what life will be like after leaving the womb. It’s impossible, since there’s no frame of reference.

But that doesn’t mean heaven has to be a complete mystery. The Bible offers a few tidbits, essentially assuring us terrestrials, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” The apostle Paul was referring to this when he wrote, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). In other words, “I’d explain it to you if I could – but I can't.”

Speaking to His followers, Jesus said, “In my Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you…” (John 14:2). He didn’t elaborate – at least the Scriptures don’t tell us that He did – but basically He was offering assurances that someplace very special awaited them. In other words, “Trust Me on this. It’s going to be really cool – much more than you could ever imagine.”

In the last book of the Bible we read about “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), a place where pain, sorrow, death and anguish are banished forever. Now that is something to look forward to, isn’t it? “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain; for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

We cling desperately to this earthly life because it’s all we've known. And I think God wants it to be that way. When it’s our time to go, He’ll let us know. Until then we’re asked to faithfully live the life He expects of us and respond to opportunities He sends our way. But this “blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13) should be something to eagerly anticipate, not fear or dread. The unknown isn’t always a bad thing.

But what’s it going to be like? What are we going to do? After all, eternity is a long time, right? Maybe that information hasn’t been fully revealed because our finite, human minds couldn’t comprehend it anyway. Kind of like trying to explain Euclidian geometry to a hamster.

Think about it this way: If you book a Caribbean cruise, or a vacation at some exotic location, you might see a travel brochure or two, and read a brief description. But nothing can prepare you for everything you’ll experience once you get there. Heaven’s going to be like that – only much, much more. Millions of times over. Don’t even try doing the math!