“You’re Not Home Yet!”

“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.”

Hebrews 13:14

If you are like me, you look at what is going on in our world today and say to yourself “how can this world get any worse?” The things that are evil are now good and what was once right is now wrong. What was once wrong is somehow made to look good and defended by so many. God must look down and be sad as He looks and sees the evil that is now celebrated. How can

things go on anymore? Dr. David Jeremiah told this story. It was one that I had heard before, but I

thought was worth repeating as it has to do with missionaries and all Christ-followers. I pray that it will speak to you today and be an encouragement to your heart also.

An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years, and they were returning to New York City to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. They discovered they were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions. No one paid much attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President’s entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the

great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip, and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us." "Dear, you shouldn’t feel that way," his wife said. "I can’t help it; it doesn’t seem right." When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of the President’s arrival, but no one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city. That night, the man’s spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can’t take this; God is not treating us fairly." His wife replied, "Why don’t you go into

the bedroom and tell that to the Lord" A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?" The Lord settled it with me," he said. "I told him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply said,

"But you’re not home yet!"(From Talking To My Father, by Ray Stedman. Barbour & Co. 1997)

What an uplifting thought. Sometimes we get so dragged down by this world and forget that this world is not our home, we are just passing through. All the evil that we see around us seems to burden us down. Is your heart heavy today? Do you feel like everything you do is not noticed or not appreciated? Are you just plain tired of fighting the fight? If you are discouraged today, talk to your Savior and He will gently remind you that “You’re Not Home Yet!”

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”

Philippians 3:20

We’re Not Home Yet

This old world is filled with disappointments and trouble every day.

Many times I get discouraged and I almost lose my way.

Then I remember I'm just a pilgrim, in this troubled world below.

That's the reason I keep singing as I go.

We're not home yet children.

So keep your eyes on the Savior.

Just a few more days to labor

And we'll sit down beside the river.

How we long to be with Jesus

And our loved ones gone before us.

There's a better day a comin'

We're not home yet!

-Jean Bradford

What A Day That Will Be!