Daily Archive

How I suffer in far-off Meshech. It pains me to live in distant Kedar. Psalms‬ ‭120‬:‭5‬

Have you ever been far from home? You are on vacation or away at school or perhaps your job has taken you away from the familiar surroundings of family and friends.

You love what you do. You have a good life. You feel truly blessed. Yet there is an emptiness, a longing for the stable structure of the familiar?

In Old Testament times Jerusalem and the Temple was home to the Hebrews. It was there that God dwelt. It was in Jerusalem that one felt truly at home socially, ethnically, and emotionally.

But life happened. Through exile and other things the Hebrews were scattered around the Mediterranean world. A few times a year they would go ‘home’ to celebrate God’s goodness, worship His faithfulness and reconnect with family and friends.

When they were with God and His people, life was good. But then the cycle would repeat. Life called them away with a longing for ‘next time in Jerusalem’.

Have you ever felt that longing? Perhaps sin has lured you away? Maybe it’s just the busyness of life. “Weekends are the only time I have for me.” It could be a bad experience when the body of Jesus abused or failed you.

Maybe it’s time to come home. Maybe you need to return to Jerusalem. There is an emptiness when we are far from Jesus. An emptiness he never intended.

Don’t allow the failure of people or the busyness of life keep you from enjoying Jesus!