The Hope of Home

Ezekiel 36:8"'But you, Mountains of Israel, will burst with new growth, putting out branches and bearing fruit for my people Israel. My people are coming home! Do you see? I'm back again. I'm on your side. You'll be plowed and planted as before! I'll see to it that your population grows all over Israel, that the towns fill up with people, that the ruins are rebuilt. I'll make this place teem with life—human and animal. The country will burst into life, life, and more life, your towns and villages full of people just as in the old days. I'll treat you better than I ever have. And you'll realize that I am God. I'll put people over you—my own people Israel! They'll take care of you and you'll be their inheritance. Never again will you be a harsh and unforgiving land to them.”

There’s nothing like coming home after a long trip. There’s an excitement and growing anticipation with every mile closer to those you love and to those who love you. Your headed home! As one airline attendant asked me, ‘so, how are you doing today?’ To that I responded with a smile, ‘I’m going home’! The message came across.

This passage of prophecy predicted Israel’s coming home as well. A prophecy that carried them beyond their return from Babylonia to our present age. A return to their promised land. A land they found scarred with war and drought but today is bursting with new hope and life.

Each day we also have a great hope. The hope of going home. A hope of returning to the rightful, peaceful, and joyful relationship with our Heavenly Father. A hope of a new body that doesn’t ache, creak, or groan at us all the time. A hope of seeing Christ on the throne in full glory!

Along the way we may get bumped around or tossed back and forth. We may endure hardship of our own doing or from the cruelty of others. But may we never take our eyes off of the hope we have, the hope of going home.