Home Free
Scripture Reading — Revelation 22:1-17
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night.
Revelation 22:4-5
It’s said that some folks lost in the wilderness run right past their rescuers. They get so focused on escaping that they don’t heed signs that help is nearby. If you find yourself lost in the woods, stop pretending you know the way home. Stay put, and wait for rescue.
The Bible’s last chapter presents us with two outcomes in history. One is the great homecoming of people admitting they were once lost but are now rescued through Christ. All the faces reflected in the crystal river were cherished in God’s heart before the world was made. The children of God from all nations are given the keys to a garden city filled with our Father’s joy and loving provision. An inner ache melts away in them. A memory of who they truly are returns in an exhilarating flood. They can now get down to the business of being home free.
The other outcome in history is the great disappointment of people who kept walking in circles, never admitting they’d lost their way. These are the ones who ignored signs of rescue and counted on their own efforts—magic formulas, moving from one sex partner to another, destroying rivals, setting up idols, and spinning webs of deceit. As our reading says, they are forever left “outside” God’s city, like scattered packs of homeless dogs.
Please don’t run with them.
Father, today we taste the springs of home, where one day we will be whole and free. In Jesus, help us invite others to a taste of home for his sake. Amen.
About the author — Norm Prenger
Rev. Norm Prenger is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary. He pastored churches in Alberta and British Columbia before he was disabled by a heart attack and a post-operative stroke. He now lives with his wife, Gwen, near Thunder Bay, Ontario. He enjoys fishing, writing, drumming, and encouraging his fishing partners and neighbors to follow Jesus.
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