Not our home

1 Peter 1:17 (ESV)

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.

It’s said that, many years ago, in England, there was a circus elephant by the name of Bozo. Bozo was gentle and friendly. Children and their families would come from all around so they could feed him peanuts, admire his size, and enjoy his personality. One day, however, something changed in Bozo. He was not himself. An examination revealed that there did not appear to be anything wrong with him physically. He was neither injured nor sick. Nevertheless, it was clear that something was wrong.

It was then that a small man stepped out of the crowd. He told the manager that he thought he knew what the problem was. With the manager’s permission, the man stepped right up to the elephant and began speaking to him in very soft tones. Almost immediately, Bozo returned to his old, happy self. He wagged his massive head in delight. He even wrapped his trunk around the small man’s waist.

The manager, of course, could not wait to find out what had just happened. As the small man walked away from the elephant, he explained to the manager what he had done. “This elephant is from India,” he said, “and none of you spoke his language.” And there it was. The elephant was homesick. All he needed was to hear the sounds of the language of home.

As Christians, you and I stay in this fallen world for just a little while, and then we go home. When we forget that however—when we instead get caught up in all the distractions of this temporary journey—then it’s easy to lose sight of who we are. Then it’s easy to lose sight of why we are here and where we are going.

When that happens, it’s time for you and me to hear the language of home.

The language of home is the voice of Jesus. The language of home is the Word of God. It cleanses our hearts in the blood of Calvary. It embraces us in the Lord’s forgiveness. It gives us peace of mind and heart. It empowers us to remember the joy of what we have and the joy of who we are. That is what the language of home does for us.

Dear Lord, at those times when we drift in the details of this temporary world, speak to us in the language of home. Speak to us in Your Word. In the Name of Jesus,  Amen.