Dear Pilgrim, we are not yet home

One of the major truths that is not very difficult to find in Scripture is that, as believers, this world is not our final destination. Through the several parables of Jesus and the letters from the Apostles, it is all too clear that we are but sojourners on this earth, journeying towards our permanent home with God. One day, we will leave this present world and enter into the home that Christ has prepared for us. In the words of Jesus Christ, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:2-3).

I think that as Christians, we are often tempted in one of two directions. We are either become too comfortable in this world or become so consumed with the pursuit of its things that we lose sight of eternity. For some, prosperity becomes a snare. They become wealthy and comfortable and, in the abundance of their possessions, begin to forget God and the fact that this world is passing away. For others, suffering becomes the snare. Their lives become filled with so much pain and disappointment that they begin to lose sight of Christ and the hope that awaits them. Perhaps this is why Agur, the son of Jakeh, prayed, “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’” (Proverbs 30:8–9). Whether in abundance or in affliction, we must never forget that this world is not our home.

If this is so, what manner of people ought we to be? We ought to live like people who are waiting to be taken away. Our loins must always be girded, our sandals must be on our feet, and our staff must be in our hands, ready to follow our Master when He comes to take us home. An analogy that readily comes to mind is the story of the Israelites as they prepared to leave Egypt for the Promised Land. Scripture records God’s instruction to them: “In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover” (Exodus 12:11). What a picture of a people who understood that they were leaving! They did not settle down in Egypt as though Egypt were their permanent home. This is exactly the posture Christ demands of us.

The Apostle Peter reminds us of how we ought to live in light of the coming day of the Lord. He writes, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness…”(2 Peter 3:10–11). 

Dearly beloved, the moment we became Christians, we entered into a battle with the flesh, the world, and the devil. We cannot therefore afford to sleep or slumber. We must be sober-minded and watchful because “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We must not be like the rich fool who said, “‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry’” (Luke 12:19). He mistook temporary provision for permanent security and forgot that his soul could be required of him that very night. May we never make the same mistake.

Rather, we must labour in our Christian duties, fight sin daily, remain faithful in our different callings, and continue to occupy, labouring diligently until the coming of our Lord. We must resist the temptation to become so attached to the things of this present age that we forget the glory that awaits us. Our treasures are not ultimately here; our citizenship is in heaven, and our hope is in the promise of Christ.

Now, I know that God’s providence may have been a frowning one for some of us. Perhaps there have been disappointments, unanswered prayers, losses, pain, and seasons in which we have wondered why God has allowed certain things to happen. But, dear pilgrim, trust Jesus and labour on. The road may be difficult, but it is not endless. The night may be long, but morning is coming. The tears may be many, but they will not last forever. We know that on that day, He shall wipe away every tear from our eyes. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, and there shall be no more pain, for the former things will have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

So, brace on, dear pilgrim, for we are almost home. Keep your sandals on. Keep your staff in your hand. Keep your eyes on Christ. Keep moving. We may not yet be home, but we are going home.