Posted on December 19, 2022 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
THE JOURNEY
Home + Peace
By Brooke Hodnefield
I don’t pay too much attention to social media, but there was a post awhile back that stood out to me. It caused me to ponder then, and is something that resurfaces every so often. It was a question – to think of the friends you had as a 3rd grader. Seems simple enough, but I had a hard time recalling just what school and what house and in what state I was living in at the time of 3rd grade. We moved around a LOT growing up. My portfolio of schools, churches, homes, cities and states feels quite robust. I know this story is not all too uncommon, but it can cause you to feel displaced, without roots, and without HOME and the things often associated with it: shelter, security, significance and future.
The critical component in my story is that my family life and upbringing wasn’t perfect, but it was one of acceptance, love and affirmation. Home is about people, not place. The Bible tells story after story of people searching for home. However, the Bible would also tell us that God was always most concerned with relationship and the home found in him rather than the location with which sandal’ed’ feet may have journeyed.
For me, my home and the relationship that exists within my home (even within myself) directly impact my ‘level’ of peace. When I think of the source or gauge of peace, I think of my soul, the intangible within me that often dictates how I feel and how I respond. I would like to believe that the operating system with which my soul runs on is the Holy Spirit, guiding and prompting my thoughts and steps.
Receiving and offering peace can feel circumstantial, dictated by the unsettling conversation you may have had with your teenager, the challenging work situation you find yourself in, the distance you feel from a friend, or the uncertainty of a family member’s health. But peace isn’t about a place or even a person, it is God’s presence, embodied within our very existence, within each one of us. Can we will our way into peace? Can we manifest a Phillipians 4:7 ‘…peace that passes all understanding? Unfortunately, no, but we can trust in the one who IS peace.
Our Creator can take our restless, weary and wandering souls that are tirelessly navigating each day on earth and meet it with all the sovereignty and mighty power of Heaven. He IS our peace, he IS our home.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
What does home mean to you? What most surprises you about Jesus making his home on earth? What things get in the way of you making your home in Jesus? Jesus came here to earth, to enter our home…to draw near to us and make a pathway to understanding the hope we have in him. How can the future home we have with Jesus give you hope today?
Advent Reflections
Over the next few weeks we will spend time preparing our eyes, ears, hearts and minds in this advent season. This week our advent theme is peace. Are you ready to quiet your soul, and to celebrate the arrival of Jesus among us?
Have you had one of those days where the world seems to be so crushing, you can barely handle the weight? From seemingly all angles you see dysfunction, sadness, turmoil, anger, division and injustice. We are not meant for this world. We are passing through, as our citizenship is in heaven. And the glorious truth that gives us peace in this seemingly hopeless place, is the simple fact that He is in control. He has the ultimate power. We have a part to play, as we are asked to be ambassadors on his behalf, but our eternal life in heaven releases us from owning the soul-crushing weight of the world. God’s got it, and He’s got us. For (HIS) peace that passes all understanding… Where do you need to be reminded of His control in that matter and not your own?
To ‘rend’ means to tear or rip. Rend was used to speak to the tearing of garments, which was a customary act when grieving or mourning. Joel speaks to this in 2:12-13.
That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.
I believe it grieves him when we are far from him, but we also know that he is always accessible, in constant pursuit of us, and is returning someday to gather all who believe home. His presence and peace is unconditional. In what ways do you need to rend your heart today and return to Him?
This is one of those passages you need to read a few times. I believe the overarching theme is found in verse 5, ‘…apart from me you can do nothing.’ How many times have we tried to will or manifest something to happen? Whether consciously or unconsciously, we want our way. We are impatient and oftentimes God’s voice is hard to discern from our own. He desires this so that we can have peace knowing that we don’t have to be in control. My prayer is often to ask the Lord to share what is mine to own, and let the rest fall to Him. What is an area of your life in which you want something to be made, created or simply, come to be? How can you ‘remain in His love?’
Revelation paints many pictures. There are many metaphors, images and references to former books of the Bible. Some of it is quite heavy and even unsettling. This passage lifts our eyes and our hearts to think on Jesus redeeming the darkness and making right all that is wrong. While we know that there will be hard, and there will be darkness, this is circumstantial. What I love most is that we can cling to the truth that ‘…he will dwell with us (them).’ He has never left our side. Jesus is light, and he will be our light in times of darkness. Consider a more challenging season, maybe even something you are navigating now. How have you felt God’s peace in the midst of a dark or unsettling time?
He was, He is, He is yet to be. Not only can we look to God for peace, but ‘…he himself IS our peace.’ If you are wrestling with relational conflict or are experiencing an unsettling you can’t put your finger on, remember that God IS peace. Who better to calm a burdened heart and mind than the one who embodies peace. Where do you need peace? In your relationships, in a decision, within yourself? Offer these to God and Let him ground you in his true peace today. Come, Lord Jesus.
Take a moment to think of those people and relationships that are most meaningful, possibly some faces come to mind that have been present for significant parts of your life. We value presence in the purest sense…those that show up even when you may not know what you need or how you need it. Those that lean in and invite themselves into the harder to reach and more complicated places in your life, yet do so in a way that meets a need. Jesus could have remained alongside His Father in heaven, yet he chose to be present in the form of a man. He is Immanuel, ‘God with us,’ in a way that allows us access to one that has been there before, and who knows us better than any person could ever know us. Our expectations for relationships can be high, and they will always disappoint in some way. He sees you. He sees what is on your heart. Today, share with Him something that others may not see is a need to you.
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
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