Home is where the heart is

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Proverbs 14.1 says, the wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.  This wise saying came to me one day when I was deciding whether or not I should dispose of all my belongings when I leave South Africa for South East Asia.  I was not sure for how long I would travel abroad.    

I thought about the years it took to create my home, filled with furniture, appliances, technical equipment, decorations, necessities and luxuries.  With a single decision to quit my job and travel, the many years of collection washed away.  I thought about the rich young man who had asked Jesus what he needed to do to enter the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus had answered that he needed to sell everything he owned and follow him.  But I didn't earnestly feel spoken to when I remembered that story because I was not a rich young man.

Ironically the first thing that came to mind when I considered the dangers of going overseas was the real possibility of running out of money.  What would I do without money?  I saw myself begging on  the sidewalks, or in a more modern version, desperately looking online for a teaching job, surrounded by a circle of worldly travelers giving me ample advice on job hunting in South East Asia.

I know the devil will dangle scriptures out of context before your eyes to distress you, like the devil used in the desert to tempt Jesus.  God, on the other hand, brings to your attention scriptures that truly apply to your context and in turn bring you peace.  The scripture about not tearing down your house most assuredly came to me from God.

So I needed to look deeper into that scripture, to not only consider the material things that made up my home, but the spiritual.  In my house I have built relationships, I have started good habits, and I have learnt valuable lessons.  Those are the things I must not discard.  The rest is trivial.    

Snails carry their homes on their backs.  God says, when you follow Jesus, you don't have a place to lay your head.  That scripture has always left me feeling both excited and insecure.  No place to rest your head?  How exhausting!  On the other hand, there is a great sense of constantly moving forward, even if you are moving at a slow pace.

Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains, God claims.  I can't claim my faith is bigger than a mustard seed, so I can expect big things - mountains that move, obstacles that are overcome!  Brick by brick, God has laid His foundation in my heart.  Come make Your home in me, Holy Spirit!

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