Not My Final Home
Read a sad message about
a church I love,
had to say to myself again,
“This is not my final home.”
Family brokenness and division
tears at the heart,
had to reach out for this truth,
“This is not my final home.”
Temptation seems to be around
every corner,
need to pause and consider,
“This is not my final home.”
Another trusted leader crashes
and burns,
had to remind myself,
“This is not my final home.”
Watching culture’s descent
into insanity,
comfort myself with one thing,
“This is not my final home.”
See faithfulness give way
to compromise,
I say with those who’ve gone before me,
“This is not my final home.”
The presence and power of remaining sin
exposed again,
had to reflect on my destiny,
“This is not my final home.”
Weariness with the struggle gives way
to eternity’s longing,
rejoicing another time that,
“This is not my final home.”
Creation all around seems to groan
under the curse’s pain,
no hope without knowing,
“This is not my final home.”
When evil seems to prosper
and good suffers,
I cannot let myself forget,
“This is not my final home.”
When the war for the heart
seems unrelenting,
my strength is found in remembering,
“This is not my final home.”
When the world offers nothing
that gives life,
I look up and remember,
“This is not my final home.”
The bright promise at the heart of
the gospel of Jesus,
in him my future is secured,
“This is not my final home.”
Every human being will only ever find one place of rest, one location of final fulfillment. There and there alone will the journey end, the war be over, and our hearts be given the rest they always wanted but never fully had.
We will no longer be haunted by ghosts of “what ifs” and “if onlys.” We will not wish for what others have or lament what we have missed. We will no longer try to satisfy spiritual hunger with physical food.
We will be freed from trying to calm internal restlessness with things that cause us trouble and only deepen our longing. We will know what we have never known before, and we will celebrate that knowledge forever.
When that time comes, we will get it right. We will be completely full, never to hunger again. We will experience what we have longed for at times and in ways that we didn’t even know we were longing.
We will be happy—no, not with the temporary physical, emotional, relational, or situational happiness that fades like morning fog. We will be happy in a deeply contented happiness of heart, a kind of joyful contentment of soul unlike anything we have ever known before.
It is impossible to characterize how deep and expansive our delight in him will be. It is hard to find words that do justice to how completely satisfied we will be. Our hearts will finally have what they have always searched for, and our celebration will never end.
“The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price […] He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:17, 20)
A Prayer for Today: God, when I see the world around me and observe my own sinful heart, I grieve and need to be reminded of the fact that this is not my final home. Thank you for rescuing me and giving me the bright promise that in Jesus, my future is secured for all eternity. As I walk through this life, help me to rest in that promise and believe that it will one day be fulfilled. I long for that day, but until then, may I walk in faithfulness as a Spirit-filled follower of Christ. In his name I pray, amen.
Paul Tripp
Discussion Prompt for Children
• What do you think heaven will be like? Do you know what the Bible says about heaven? How does the Bible’s description line up with what you think about heaven?
• What do you think “temporary” means? What does “eternal” mean? Why is it important for us to understand that heaven will be for all eternity?
• Why do you think heaven will be filled with joy, rest, satisfaction, and peace?
Reflection Questions
1. In the past, what have been your particular thoughts and assumptions about heaven? As you’ve observed Scripture’s description of heaven, how have your assumptions and the Bible’s descriptions lined up? How have they differed? Why do you think the phrase, “better than the best” is a good way to describe heaven?
2. What in this world makes you long for your final home? What about your final home makes you want to rejoice and worship God?
3. What do you think your longing for heaven reveals about you and what’s truly in your heart? What is it that you truly desire that will only be given to you in your final home?
4. Biblically speaking, what will make heaven joyful, restful, satisfying, and peaceful? How do the good things of this world point you to your final heavenly home?