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REFLECTION

Far from home is the theme for our reflection. Basically, a home is a place where a person or a family lives, however, the concept of home can be used in reference to the birthplace or in reverence to a person’s heritage. A home whether individually owned or communally owned gives us a sense of security, comfort and pride. Depending on the situation we find ourselves being far from home could render us vulnerable or empowered. Unfortunately for the Israelites, their disobedience to God led them far away from home, and they were taken captives into exile in Babylon. Being far from home means they could no longer go to the temple to observe public worship and sacrifices to God. They felt spiritually vulnerable and thought God was also far away from them. Their enemies made a mockery of them and force them to perform sacred or worship, songs for their entertainment. It was for this reason, the Psalmist who might also be an exile wrote, “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there, our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land? (Psalms 137:1-4). Jerusalem, the royal city of David and the temple of the Lord were all built at the geographical location known as Zion. Therefore Zion became the dwelling place of God and also the centre of the Israelites’ political and religious life. Zion is synonymous with home and at the same time the dwelling place of God. The Israelites were traumatised! How can we play the lyre which was one of the key instruments for worship and also sing sacred songs to pagan enemies in a foreign land? They felt vulnerable, dejected and totally robbed of their pride. Dear friend, God is our home, our pride and joy but sin can make us feel we are far away from Him. This was the predicament of the prodigal son in Luke 15, he allowed sin to take him captive and exile him far from home when he enjoyed the love and blessings of the Father.

Dear friend, the fact that sin may render us exiled or far from home or the salvation of the Lord does not mean God is deaf to our prayer of repentance, deliverance, revival and restoration. Anytime we realise that we are estranged or far from home we must immediately take the decisive action of repentance and reach out to the Lord for He is a prayer answering God, especially, to those who are willing to repent and come home like the prodigal son in Luke 15.

The Israelites in their frustration still had faith and hope, therefore, called upon God’s vengeance upon the Edomites who supported the Babylonians against them and ultimately called upon God for the destruction of the Babylonians. “Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!” O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock! (Psalms 137:7-9) Dear friend, this is an indication that it does not matter how far from home we are in a foreign land or in sin, God is everywhere therefore “everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved..” (Joel 2:32). Your spiritual estrangement or distance as a result of your past sins and its consequences or ramfications today should not prevent you from calling on God. Remember Jesus assures us that “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) No matter how lost or far away you are in the exile of sin, God is ever ready to save you and bring you home to Mount Zion, His dwelling place. Zion is now the Kingdom of God where every believer’s eternal home is. If we come to the conclusion that we are indeed far from home through our disobedience and lust for the world then it is proper to repent and say with the prodigal son, Father! “I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son (or daughter).’ (Luke 15:21) God loves us and does not want us to be far from home where we could live and die in sin. Shalom.

PRAYER

Merciful Father, thank you for bringing us home when we were far away like the Israelites in Babylon, use us as instruments of transformation to bring back those who are still far from home and are beyond the walls of salvation. Amen.