Starting Over and Hope

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)

Starting Over and Hope

I never enjoyed chess as much as when I played with my grandfather. I made many mistakes while learning chess. And he always reacted to my errors with the same advice, “We start over with the next game.”

Few things give us that opportunity. Our gardens do not simply start over if we overwater. Our cars still need body-repairs the day after our fenders have bent. Our checkbooks do not refill if we overspend our budget. Our lasagna can not be restarted if we leave out the oregano.

But the most important thing in life, a relationship with God, will always be fresh in His mind… tomorrow, the next hour, the next minute, the next moment.

His steadfast love, no matter our arrogance, begins again. His mercy, no matter our repetitive rebellions, begins again. His faithfulness, no matter our infidelity, is limitless.

This is how we live in hope. We start over with the next game.

Take the hope God grants us.

Starting Over and Faith

Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:17 ESV)

Starting Over and Faith

Few disciples have been wrong more than Peter. After witnessing the shocking transfiguration, absolute proof that Christ is the Messiah, Peter soon protested that Jesus had to die. He was so wrong, and Jesus rebuked Peter. (John 16:16-23) Peter, after a good start, lacked enough faith to keep believing that Jesus would keep protecting him on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:31)Peter was so afraid (and angry) that he tried to defend Christ at Christ’s moment of arrest. (John 18:10)

And there were more. Including, of course, Peter’s most famous failure… when he denied he knew Jesus, let alone believed in Him. (John 18:25-27)

We would expect that Jesus would have had enough. Peter’s credentials were sullied. Peter’s discipleship was questionable. Peter was not reliable, teachable, or trustworthy.

But Jesus not only forgave that dastardly Peter. Jesus also, in a sense, ordained him. That is what ‘feed my sheep’ means, right? Jesus wanted Peter to be a shepherd for His people. Jesus gave Peter another chance.

And He gives the rest of His people repeated chances, too.

It is partially because Jesus treats us now as we are going to be for eternity…

It is partially because He desires to be gracious…

It is mostly because He loves us…

When because of our failures, we despair of receiving yet another chance from God, remember Christ’s actions towards Peter. When because of our rebellions, our reason assures us that God MUST be done with us, remember Christ’s actions towards Peter. When because we have misunderstood Him, doubted Him, and denied Him, we expect God to be done with us, remember Christ’s actions towards Peter.

Take the Faith God grants us.

The Old and the New... and Love

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6 ESV)

The Old and the New and Love

Many years ago, I used to build plastic models. I found the process calming. It allowed me some small expression of my creativity. I enjoyed the small detail work and the finished products.

But then I stopped for a while. In fact, two particular models remained unfinished. I had boxed them up, painted… partially glued… but complete… and put them away. For many years.

Recently I have begun enjoying that hobby again.

And the first models I completed were those two cars that I had never finished.

Now they are on my display shelf. And when I glance at them, I am reminded of how God finishes and completes what He loves.

He loves His people, those redeemed through Christ. He loves me. He loves you.

Sometimes we despair when we notice those things He is still working on with us. Just like I would notice occasionally those boxes of unfinished models. But He will complete making us new! Not grudgingly, or out of obligation, or merely to keep a promise.

He will make ALL of the old in His people new.

Because He loves us.

Take the love God grants us.

The Old and the New... and Hope

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (II Peter 3:13 ESV)

The Old and the New… and Hope

I have a ‘new’ Bible Study program. I have had it for over a year, but it still seems new to me. My old way of Bible study, involving books spread all over my desk, is no more. Instead, this program lets me peruse my commentaries, dictionaries, and articles while also keeping the verses I am studying open on the computer screen in front of me.

Please understand, though, that my OLD program was pretty cool. It was very (more than I needed) academic. It performed analysis of original languages, comparisons of translations, word searches in Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew. And sometimes I miss those old functions.

But then I discover some way that the NEW program can do those things, too.

And almost every week, I discover something else nifty about it. For instance, I recently discovered that the program will send my calendar a reminder and nudge to finish reading a particular book.

And those types of discoveries give me hope that ALL of my old program’s tricks and functions will be found in the new program, too.

Peter knows that while we have been made new… we still have bits and pieces (and chunks and boulders) of the old still hanging around.

And here he promises that all will be made new. God’s perfected heaven and earth are coming. All of our old ways, habits, desires, failings… well, sins… will be gone.

And ALL will be new. Heaven soon!

Take the hope God grants us.

The Old and the New... and Faith

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (II Corinthians 5:17,18 ESV)

The Old and the New and Faith

My father gave me his old home-made miter-box. I thought it was the most amazing wood-working tool. Using it, I could cut perfect corners when installing trim. I could cut perfect edges when building square things. I could cut perfect square picture frames.

Or nearly perfect.

And over time, the home-made miter-box began to show its age.

Imagine my joy and surprise when one afternoon I discovered that miter-boxes were NOT elaborate, expensive, fancy, rare tools. Miter-boxes cost less than ten dollars!

And so I bought a new miter-box!

The old miter-box is gone. I do not use it to build sharp corners. I do not use it to trim in doorframes. I barely even remember that it was in my workshop.

The old is gone.

And Paul tells us that our ‘old’ is gone, too.

It is harder to discern than miter-boxes. Our old nature, our old hearts, our old unredeemed selves are still hiding a bit. And not just because those old things are tenacious.

We ourselves, at times, do not accept that the old has been made new.

We accept the evidence of our eyes instead of the evidence of God’s promise.

I do not really claim to understand it. It sure seems to me that the old is very much alive.

But God has declared otherwise.

What part of “the old has passed away” do I not understand?

The old is gone. Cling to the New.

Take the faith God grants us.

Loneliness and Love

But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord Godmy refuge, that I may tell of all our works. (Psalm 73:28 ESV)

Loneliness and Love

My cats sometimes like me. My dog loves me, doggishly. My children love me undeservedly. My wife loves me unreservedly. But God loves me absolutely.

And because He love me, He has enabled me to love Him, too.

The Psalmist knows this about God… and knows that because of that Love Connection, it is good to be near to God. And being near to God, the God who loves us, the God we love, means not being alone. Even when our circumstances make us feel alone.

It is not surprising that in this time of seclusion and isolation many suffer in loneliness. And while we often seek resolution for our loneliness through technology, six-feet-closeness, or remembering, God offers something better.

He offers relationship with Him… He offers better relationship with Him… He offers profound relationship with Him.

Because it is good to be near God, that relationship is an answer to our loneliness.

Nearness with God is found in three ways. We draw near to God by reading His Words. (John 6:45) We draw near to God by praying to Him. (Hebrews 7:25) And best of all, we draw near to God by physically gathering with His people in worship, (Hebrews 10:19-22) particularly in the Lord’s Supper. (I Corinthians 11:24)

The cure for loneliness is God’s love.

Take the love God grants us.

Loneliness and Hope

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20 ESV)

Loneliness and Hope

One of my early friends was a kid named Niklaus. His father was a college professor, and Klaus was popular, fun, and cool. Everyone wanted Klaus for a friend. And much to my surprise, he wanted to be myfriend. He wanted to be friends with nerdy, uncoordinated, socially awkard me.

One of my favorite elementary school memories was having a couple of meals at Klaus’s house. Listening to his father talk about grownup things without patronizing. Watching Klaus’s family welcome me, include me, and actually like me.

Lonely kids, and lonely people, appreciate it when others befriend them.

That is what Jesus does regarding us. He will come in to us through the Holy Spirit. He will eat with us whenever we invite and involve Him in our lives. And we will eat with Him whenever we partake in the Lord’s Supper.

He will always answer. He will always open. He will always be with His people.

Take the hope God grants us.

Loneliness and Faith

Then the word of the Lord came to him, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you. (I Kings 17:9 ESV)

Loneliness and Faith

Elijah the Tishbite was alone. While the town of Tishbe is probably where Elijah was from, the word also means, ‘wanderer.’ And wandering is lonely.

God had sent him to hide East of the Jordan River, by a brook, Cherith. (I Kings 17:3) Israel had become dangerous for Elijah, and God appears to have been protecting Elijah, as well as teaching him.

The lesson that God was teaching Elijah is a lesson for us, as well.

Elijah’s physical needs were taken care of already. He had a brook for water, and most likely food was available there. But Elijah was alone. In fact, Elijah felt alone often in his life.

Certainly, Elijah had a grand relationship with his God. Certainly, Elijah had interactions with those to whom he ministered. Certainly, Elijah had the school of prophets. But the life of Elijah was a life of loneliness.

But our gracious God provided just the right person at just the right time. The widow at Zarephath needed Elijah’s help as much as God knew Elijah needed her.

Our God connects His people in the tapestry of His kingdom.

We are wanderers, too. Christians are wandering on this planet, and as much as we should enjoy it while here, it is not really our home. And sometimes we are alone.

When the loneliness is overwhelming, remember Elisha and the friend God provided. And remember that this is not the only example of God helping the lonely. Remember also Leah, and Hagar, and Miriam, and Jeremiah. Remember even King David. And remember Jesus.

All of them lonely people whose stories give us peace in our loneliness. God has a precedent for solving loneliness. Believe He will help us, too.

Take the faith God grants us.

Boxing Day and Faith

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19 ESV)

Boxing Day and Faith

Boxing Day is a British holiday. It is celebrated the day after Christmas, but the exact origin or meaning of the day is a bit muddled. Some claim it was the day that the Brits used to put presents outside their door for those who delivered milk, eggs, ice, and the like. Some claim Boxing Day is the day when parents disposed of all the gift boxes. Some claim that the day after Christmas people boxed up their decorations.

But to me, Boxing Day is the day to sit back and contemplate what happened. The chaos of family celebrations, church services, advent series, parties, traveling, decorating, eggnogging, and over-eating is finished… boxed up, so to speak. And now, in the still of the next day, we have some time to think.

To ponder things in our hearts.

Mary obviously had some amazing things to ponder. Way back when Gabriel first shocked her with the news of the incarnation, her wild ride began. Nine months of family and fiancé issues, travel donkey-back, last minute Bethlehem relocation, a not-at-all silent night, shepherds, a new baby… the overwhelming realization that the time of the Messiah had come. And that the Messiah was right… over… there.

She treasured and pondered.

We can do no less.

Ponder the sacrifice of God Himself becoming human. Ponder the extreme ends to which our loving God went to give YOU forgiveness and heaven. Ponder the story told by an angel, shepherds, angels, and the very Word of God.

Believe those things.

Take the faith God grants us.

Christmas Day and Love

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19 ESV)

Christmas Day and Love

Lots of love was found in Bethlehem Ephrathah that morning.

Joseph’s love was manifest in his adherence to his beloved (Matthew 1:19, 24)

Heaven’s love was sung by the angels. (Luke 2:13)

God’s peoples’ love was displayed by the shepherds. (Luke 2:20)

God’s love was proven in His sacrifice, His presence, and His promises fulfilled. (John 1:14)

Mary’s love was shown in her treasuring and pondering.

It would not surprise me to find out some day that the moment of Christ’s birth is the exact center of our historical timeline. Because the moment of Christ’s birth is the complete center of all of God’s loving work.

Here is love.

Take the love God grants us.

Christmas Eve and Hope

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. (Luke 1:41 ESV)

Christmas Eve and Hope

I might like Christmas Even a tiny bit more than Christmas. I have almost never had a bad Christmas Day, and so Christmas Eve is one of those times that I have great confidence that the next day will be grand.

Looking ahead to something wonderful has its own wonder.

Looking ahead to the fulfilment of a promise it is own fulfilment.

Looking ahead to tomorrow is at least as joyful as the actual tomorrow.

Christmas Eve is a time of hope.

Baby John knew it. Even before he was born.

Children know it, nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums dance in their heads.

For us, after the incarnation, we still find hope… hope of the end of sin and sin’s effects… hope of heaven… hope of the full establishment of our King’s Kingdom.

All because the baby King was born.

Take the hope God grants us.

Presents and Love

Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you. (Isaiah 42:5,6 ESV)

Gifts and Love

When it comes to gifts, my intentions are always grand. But experience has shown that I am not a great giver of gifts. Either I am wrong in my assumptions, or I am lazy in my application, or I am short of resources, or I simply choose poorly.

My gifts do not usually measure up to the depths of my love.

But God IS a great giver of gifts!

Isaiah describes the gift of creation and connects that gift to God’s love of His people. He chose us, He makes us righteous, He connects with us, and He keeps us. That is a pretty good description of God’s love.

While the gift of creation is not the ONLY gift God has given, it is a good place for us to start. Look at the wonders of the night sky, and you can see how big His love is. Look at the awesome Grand Canyon, Victoria Falls, Great Prairie, Gobi Desert, Rocky Mountains, Mt. Fuji, or the Matterhorn, and you can see how extravagant His love is. Look at the intricate ecology of a rain shower, winter’s storms, and the cycles of predation, and you can see how detailed His love is.

Whenever love seems absent, consider God’s gift of creation everywhere. Whenever love seems impersonal, consider God’s gift of creation in your backyard. Whenever love seems only a promise, consider God’s gift of creation right over there. Whenever love seems like something everyone else has, use your telescope, plant a seed, listen to birdsong, and laugh at a platypus.

Creation sings God’s love.

Take the love God grants us.

Presents and Hope

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)

Gifts and Hope

Last year, some of our family gave us a gift certificate to a local historical site. That gift was not yet visible… it was a promise.

After the postponements due to winter, the effects of Covid-19, and a too-full calendar, we finally used that gift certificate a couple of weeks ago. The site was interesting, informative, and fun. But the best part of our visit was the fulfilment of the promise made last Christmastime.

God’s gift of eternal life is a promise, too.

We do not see it, yet. We do not experience it, yet. We do not physically glance at it, listen to it, or hold it close on a stormy night.

It is a promise. It is hope.

When waiting for peace is still tumultuous, have hope. When waiting for health is sickening, have hope. When waiting for financial security is insecure, have hope. When waiting for love is lonely, have hope. When waiting for time to not matter so much is tedious, have hope. When waiting for laughter is heartbreaking, have hope. When waiting for promises to be kept seems hopeless, have hope.

God gave proof that our hope is secure when He sent His promise-keeper to Bethlehem Ephrathah. God gave proof that our hope is secure when He sacrificed His only begotten Son in our place. God gave proof that our hope is secure when that death defeated Sin’s curse: death. God gave proof that our hope is secure when Christ Jesus ascended into heaven, leaving the door open for His people.

Hope is a great gift.

Take the hope God grants us.

Presents and Faith

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (Genesis 2:7 ESV)

Presents and Faith

What kind of Santa Claus would come out of the fireplace and ask, “Ok kids, what toys do you want to buy?” A gift is free. A gift has no strings attached. A gift is unconditional.

My grandfather gave me his treasured harmonica when I was ten years old. I am not sure what he expected me to do with that instrument, but I did not choose my actions well. Within an hour I HAD to see if the harmonica could play underwater.

It could not. And it never played again.

But I remember my grandfather’s sad shrug of his shoulders. That shrug said, “Well, it was a gift. I meant it as a gift, and what Tommy did with it is his business.”

When God gave to Adam the gift of His breath of life, it was a true gift.

Adam could use his gift however he desired. He, almost alone in history, had the absolute free will. Particularly, he could have chosen to obey and love God… or not.

(Because Adam chose poorly, we no longer have that choice. We choose sin. It is our nature, now. We do not expect a fish to fly into outer space, a bird to make use of credit cards, or a dog to ignore it when the master comes home. Such actions would be against the nature of the creature. While Adam’s created nature allowed him to choose sin or love. Our nature now does not allow us to choose anything but sin.)

Adam misused his gift. But that makes the giving even more amazing. It tends to prove that God means ‘freedom’ when He gives it.

That knowledge is another gift. When the Holy Spirit is transforming our very lives, God is giving us that Adamic choice again, in a way. In Christ, we can choose to love God… acting against our very nature.

Adam’s freedom shows us that God is nothing like a toy-selling Santa Claus. Loving us, He lets us choose to love. Loving us, He lets us try to grow. Loving us, He lets us strive for righteousness. Loving us, he lets us live.

Remember Adam’s poor choice? We can choose better.

Take the faith God grants us.

Singing and Hope

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, (Acts 16:25 ESV)

Singing and Love

Here are Paul and Silas in prison. Their future bleak. Their options diminished. Their hope logically dim. The British had not yet invented the concept of, “innocent until proven guilty.” In fact, those in prison were assumed to be guilty, and the punishment sure, soon, and severe.

But Paul and Silas were singing.

Often, we understand their songs as a result of their faith and hope in Christ their savior. He had not abandoned them, so they did not abandon faith or hope. Faith and hope certainly would explain any calmness they displayed, any peace they exhibited, and any lack of worry, fear, or terror.

But they were singing. They were particularly singing hymns to God. Hymns, even then, were songs written about God, sung to God. They were informative, educational, and thoughtful. Not as easily memorized as a chorus, not as light as a chorus, not as fluffy as a chorus, nor as simplistic as a chorus.

Paul and Silas were probably singing well-thought-out descriptions of God’s attributes. They were probably singing theological discussions put to music. They were probably singing songs that focused deeply, purposefully, profoundly, and fanatically on God.

Because they loved God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Hymns, in a way, are love songs about our God. The lyrics are like love letters. Paul and Silas did sing due to their faith and hope. But mostly they sang because they loved.

Sing like that more often!

Take the love God grants us.

Singing and Hope

and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. (Revelation 14:3 ESV)

Singing and Hope

I have recently been pretending to play chess again. Many years ago, I was good enough to compete, but I have fallen out of practice. And now, it is a struggle to regain my chess skills of long ago. I have some hope… but not much. I might be too old.

I have recently been renewing my sleight-of-hand magician skills. Many years ago, I could perform card tricks, levitate small objects, and make coins disappear. Now it takes a lot of tedious repetition to reach my skill levels of long ago. I have some hope… but not much. My fingers might be too slow.

I have always wanted to fly a helicopter. It just seems cool. But not only are my reaction speeds too slow, my eyesight too poor, and my fear of heights too intense… but helicopters are expensive! I have no hope.

But some day I will sing! And so will all of Christ’s folk! Even if you have NO musical ability… even if you can not carry a tune in a basket… even if you are tone deaf… even if you can not memorize long verses… even if you have no musical talent…

You will sing!

And it will be grand.

The 144,000 is a symbol for ALL of God’s people, all of Christ’s redeemed, all of those who have entered heaven by way of Christ’s graceful gate.

We will sing!

Take the hope God grants us.

Singing and Faith

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. (55 Psalms!)

Singing and Faith

When I desire to teach something in song, I do not simply hum. While lyricless music is important, useful, and meaningful, there is an even closer tie between the words and faith.

We remember emotions, locations, and events through tunes, yes. But if we do not state those things with words, we cannot communicate those things to others in any sort of effective way. Music without words is much more relative and subjective than music attached to lyrics.

I yearn to learn the music that David played on his harp. But even David knew that the music alone was not enough. That is why David did not merely write harp-tunes. He wrote words along with those harp-tunes. And those words are what remain in God’s Word, in the Psalms.

In Ephesians 5:19, Paul describes this, encouraging us to be, “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” Notice the merging and intertwining and connection of the melody AND the words.

Maybe particularly in this Christmas season, we can see the importance of both tune and word… but the word carries the message. The words we sing nudge us to think, encourage us to remember, advocate our contemplation… and often drive us towards faith.

Maybe not Rudolph, and Santa Clause is Coming to Town… but Silent Night; O Come All Ye Faithful; Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming; and Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.

Take the Faith God grants us.

Home and Love

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. (I John 3:2 ESV)

Home and Love

It is rumored that long time pets begin to look like their family. (I might be offended by that concept, except my dog is better looking than me already.) Some science even indicates that husbands and wives take on physical characteristics of each other, both in appearance and behavior. And of course, children often look like their parents.

Home is powerful.

But I suspect that those transformations do not take place so readily in broken homes. Because it is love that causes us to imitate. It is love that allows us to absorb characteristics. It is love that lets us change.

And this will be true absolutely when we get to go home, to our Father’s place, to our Brother’s place, to our Kingdom home.

His love of us, and our responding love of Him, not only gains us access to Home, but that love will change us, sanctify us, repair us, transform us, and make us like Him.

Not merely in appearance, (although our bodies will somehow be LIKE His… Philippians 3:21) but more importantly, in our ability to love as He loves.

Coming home will do that for us.

Take the love God grants us.

Home and Hope

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? (John 14:2 ESV)

Home and Hope

When we relocated in 1983 to Little Rock, Arkansas, we had no idea where we would live. We spent the first nights in a hotel. A dark and danky hotel. Then we moved to the first apartment we could find. An unpleasant place that resulted in another apartment, followed by a slightly larger apartment, followed by a small house, followed finally by the house we think of as our home in Little Rock… near our church, our work, and our best friends.

But notice how long it took. Even today, almost forty years later, relocating feels a bit unsettling. We do not know exactly what our home will look like, feel like, and be like.

But our heavenly home is different. When we get there, we already can trust the surreal estate agent that has been preparing our way. When we get there, the One who prepared our place knows us, likes us, and loves us. And He has spent thousands of years getting things ready… building a place that will not be disappointing.

Mostly because that place is not all about us, our needs, our desires, our imaginations. That place, our home, is about being with our Father… being with our Savior… being with His precious Holy Spirit. Our ‘time’ will be spent with Him, without the distractions that we are used to experiencing. Our ‘time’ will be spent whole-heartedly praising Him, without the selfish moments that pull our attention away, now. Our ‘time’ will be spent singing, and dancing, and shouting, and smiling, and rejoicing, with peace, with joy, and with love. How could we be disappointed with our beloved?

But even the smaller personal details will delight. Jesus is not building a dull, gray, mundane home. It is a place of true order, of perfection, and of beauty. It is, in a sense, a return to creation (Adam’s home) that God called ‘good,’ and then, finally, after God created the family, (included in the over-arching description of Genesis 1:31) “VERY good.” Family… where we find home.

Our best home will be with God’s family.

Home and Faith

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. (Hebrews 13:14 ESV)

Home and Faith

I have moved approximately fifteen times, and somehow God has granted me the ability to feel at home almost immediately. Yet I do not envy the life of a pilgrim, a viking, or a wagon-trailing pioneer. Home is too precious, the familiar is too comfortable, the known is too familiar.

Lately, our society has been shifting. And sometimes it might seem that we have left home… or our home has left us. And that can be frightening.

But our real home has not been lost. Our home, in one sense, is yet to come. A perfect home, a loving home, an exciting home, a home in Christ’s presence, a home of peace. When we feel lost, look forward to that home.

Our knowledge of that home is based on what God has done long ago. Before God even put the first, foundational atoms of this universe together, He knew us… He loved us… and declared our home is with Him! (Ephesians 1:4,5)

Our home is found, therefore, in faith.