Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Temporarily Tenting" by Debbie Goodwin for Wednesday, 4 January 2017 with Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
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"Temporarily Tenting" by Debbie Goodwin
2 Corinthians 5:1 We know that when the tent which houses us here on earth is torn down, we have a permanent building from God, a building not made by human hands, to house us in heaven. 2 For in this tent, our earthly body, we groan with desire to have around us the home from heaven that will be ours. 3 With this around us we will not be found naked. 4 Yes, while we are in this body, we groan with the sense of being oppressed: it is not so much that we want to take something off, but rather to put something on over it; so that what must die may be swallowed up by the Life. 5 Moreover, it is God who has prepared us for this very thing, and as a pledge he has given us his Spirit.
6 So we are always confident — we know that so long as we are at home in the body, we are away from our home with the Lord; 7 for we live by trust, not by what we see. 8 We are confident, then, and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and come to our home with the Lord.
9 Therefore, whether at home or away from home, we try our utmost to please him; 10 for we must all appear before the Messiah’s court of judgment, where everyone will receive the good or bad consequences of what he did while he was in the body.
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Paul compares the physical body to a tent in 2 Corinthians 5:1. Tent camping exchanges a comfortable roofed house designed to give protection for a small, stretched, and pegged canvas covering. The exchange is fine for leisure and recreational activity. However, few of us who have spent our lives in houses would choose a tent over a house, unless there was no other option.
Refugees from floods and fires and political upheaval will camp in tents until someone offers them a key to more permanent housing. Do they tell their benefactors to keep the better house because they don’t want to leave their tents? Probably not.
Isn’t that what God wants to remind His children? We’re tent-dwellers on this earth–this flesh and blood life is temporary. One day, Someone will offer us a key to an eternal, thief-proof, disaster-resistant place that meets every need. Doesn't that mean that every time our physical "tent" fails, it is God's reminder that there is a wonderful exchange waiting? While God does not direct His family to neglect the “tent” during this waiting period, He wants us to live forward. Tenting is temporary while we wait for a more permanent home.
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Hymn for Today: "All the Way My Savior Leads Me" by Fanny J. Crosby
1. All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well,
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.
2. All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! a spring of joy I see,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! a spring of joy I see.
3. All the way my Savior leads me;
Oh, the fullness of His grace!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s blest embrace.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way,
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way.
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Thought for Today: John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you.
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Italy.
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