Come Home Again

“To all Singaporeans and residents of Singapore, a warm welcome home.” No matter how fun and exciting travel is, it is always comforting to hear this line when your flight arrives back in Singapore. Truly, there is no place like home.

To the Israelites who were just about to be taken to exile by the Babylonians to a faraway land, returning to the Promised Land would seem like a distant dream. To them, their homeland did not just represent comfort, but was a part of their covenant with God. Stewarding the land was supposed to be part of their role as God’s people to let the world see their relationship with God. But they chose to turn away from God.

In the closing of Jeremiah 32, God once again promised that the impending exile and destruction will not be the end of the story. Just as the judgement on Judah's sin would affect everyone and everything, the restoration of the land would also be comprehensive. God would once again entrust the Israelites to steward the land when they come home and start redeeming the lands. And those who would return to the Promised Land would be those who truly treasure their covenantal relationship with God.

Unlike the Israelites, we may not have lost our physical homes or land. But the drift of our relationship with God may take on a different appearance. Perhaps there was a time when God graciously placed a specific burden in our hearts or clearly directed us to serve in a particular way. But we may have gotten too busy, distracted or simply drifted so far that we lost sight of our relationship with Him. Perhaps we have been hoping for a revival in our family, workplace, or ministry for the longest time but have lost heart, or even worse lost our faith in God, over time.

Whatever your circumstances might be today, before God can use you as an agent of change to bring about revival, the revival must first begin in your heart. Come home to the Lord and rebuild your relationship with Him. Do not settle for a superficial practice of Christianity, but ask the Holy Spirit to stir in your heart a greater desire for Him daily. Keep seeking, asking and praying for the Lord to set your heart on fire, not just today, but every day as you walk with Him.

"God, revive my heart and flame up a passion for Your Name. Let Your Holy Spirit stir up my desire for You each day, so that I may know and love You more."