It is true, there is no place like home. Home is far different from our house or habitat. We have heard the old adage, “home is where the heart is.” It is that place we have fond memories of. For you, it may be Paw Paw, West Virginia; Biloxi, Mississippi; Potecasi, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; Washington, D.C. or wherever your heart is.
Meriam Webster Dictionary defines home as one’s place of residence; domicile, house. But home can be defined as much more than Webster’s definition. In this message, it is considered to be that place where we find or found a sense of peace and joy from people who loved us. Home is more than a financial-asset.
I am sure many of us have returned back to our present homes, from that place where our roots are. Coming off of a Thanksgiving high may have even more meaning if you spent it in that place of old called home.
Home for me is that place where we were born and developed during our early years of growth. It is the place where we made many mistakes, but learned from them also. It is the place where the most incredible people we could ever encounter molded and shaped us into who we are today. For many, it is the place of spiritual formation and spiritual dependence. It is that place where we were introduced to the Church and its doctrines. Most of all, it was the place where we were loved unconditionally. It is the place where grandma and grandpa shared stories about hard times, good times and working hard. It was the place where our parents did not spare the rod, and we are better for it. Home is the place where people made sacrifices for others by making themselves secondary. It was that place where life-long friendships were formed. Home was that place where we dared to dream the impossible dreams. Home is that place where we can laugh, hug, disagree, debate, and cry without being judged or judgmental.
Your home may have been a shack, mansion, projects, cardboard box, but if your heart was there, it was home. If you have a place from the past that you call home, visit it and allow God to bring back those fond memories. The dwelling place may be gone, but the fond memories will last forever. That special place provides an opportunity for us to reminisce and find peace and joy. It provides a space to do some serious soul searching and an avenue to asking God for forgiveness of our past and present sins.
Proverbs 24: 3-4 says, “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” I believe Solomon’s point is that the character of a home is built on wisdom. It is wisdom that cause us to be creative, nurturing, knowledgeable and loveable.
Being at the place I call home this past Thanksgiving gave me an opportunity in a very surreal environment to count my blessings and I hope you were able to do the same. If not, go to that special place in the near future and pour out your heart giving thanks for blessings that are too many to count.
Have you ever wondered where Jesus’ home was? We know from the Gospels that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1) but grew up in Nazareth with His parents (Luke 4:16). At some point Jesus moved to Capernaum, but there are no specifics about his living arrangements. What we do know is Capernaum would be cursed by Jesus. He says, “Capernaum will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless, I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgement, then for you.
We know that Jesus’ affiliation with Nazareth was long enough for the question to be asked by Nathaniel, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” The answer we know is “yes.” It was God who chose Nazareth for His Son, the Savior of the world. 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 tells us, God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are.” The message in the above scripture suggests that great people who come from lowly places can be used by God in some magnificent ways.
My brothers and sisters, wherever your home may be, just know that something good has come from it. Hopefully, we can declare it good because we are a product of our home. David writes in Psalm 139: 13-14, “for it was You who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I have been fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Home Sweet Home!
Not a sermon, just my thoughts!
Robert Earl Slade, Pastor
