Daily Devotional

The word home is supposed to be a beautiful word, producing memories of home cooking, treasured times and healthy relationships. Home is designed to be a safe haven where God’s peace prevails. King Solomon expressed it clearly:  
 
Proverbs 3:33 “…[God] blesses the dwelling of the righteous.”
 
In fact, the word home is supposed to bring up images of a great place to be, a small picture of what our heavenly home will be like in the future:
 
2 Corinthians 5:6–8 - “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at  home with the Lord.”
 
However, that is certainly not the case in too many homes. They are too often places where the inhabitants are “addicted to chaos.” This is hardly the example of a place anyone wants to hope for in eternity.  

I remember the day when a social worker dropped off two foster children—two boys, aged eight and four. Their biggest challenge in adapting to our home was the different sounds of our home. One of our daughters frequently came home from school, singing cheerfully at the top of her voice, as she threw open the front door. The boys would immediately drop to the floor and curl their bodies into protective balls with their trembling arms shielding their heads. Sadly, loud sounds in their previous home reminded them of being beaten.  

Gathering them in my arms, I would reassure them that no one would hurt them now. In the weeks and months ahead they accepted that our home was safe. Home eventually took on a new meaning in the life of the boys. Although imperfect, the boys learned that our home was a happy place—a safe place.

This opened their little hearts to us teaching about salvation and heaven—God’s “dwelling place” (1 Kings 8:49; 2 Chronicles 6:30; 30:27). What an amazing place and it could be our future and forever home, if we trust in Jesus Christ. We also taught them the comforting truth that home is anywhere God dwells with us:
 
Revelation 21:3 - “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
 
Matthew 28:20 - “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
 
Whenever the boys arrived from a supervised visit with their mother, we would greet them at the door with a big hug while saying, “Welcome home!” Appropriate touch and affirming words had certainly become their preferred love language. Although their stay with us was temporary, we are praying we will see them in heaven and greet them once again with, “Welcome home, boys!”

For Parents, Grandparents, and Teachers:

1. Draw the outline of a house on a whiteboard. Help the kids describe their home. “Is there love in our home?” Then write the word “Love” inside the picture of the home. Fighting? Forgiveness? Fun?
   
   
2. Teach them that the whole family needs to work together to make this a happy home. Ask them what they can do to make their home a better place to live (e.g., forgive their siblings, help around the house, etc.)
   
   
3. Talk to the kids about the forever home, Heaven. Describe how special it is and what it takes to live there. John 3:16