4/10/10- 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 Faith in another Home

6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 We live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive what is due them for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

One of the outstanding verses in scriptures is "we walk by faith and not by sight" yet it is sandwiched between two verses having to do with when we are at home with the body we are away from the Lord.  In other words, it is easy to get so comfortable with what we can see, with this world that we experience, that we don't want to be with the Lord.  It takes faith to believe that there is something better than our earthly home.  It takes faith to believe in Christ's resurrection, and it takes faith to believe there is a better home for us.  I saw a bumper sticker today that said simply, "Live for the present."  There are some advantages to such a bumper-sticker philosophy- no worries about the future- especially earthly security.  But if we were consistent with that we wouldn't exercise or even try to control our weight- which could leave us in pain or suffering stroke/heart attack/cancer later.  But if we have another home- that we do not have to worry about losing- there is an elimination of worrying about losing our earthly home or security.  Don't be so comfortable with the present that you feel you have to pack it all in right now.  We can let go of the present a little bit, yet we can also recognize a greater purpose, and that what good we do will be rewarded by God in the future (vs. 10).

Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to walk by faith and not by sight.  Let me be assured where my eternal home and purpose lie.