GPS

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf. (Colossians 1:3-7 ESV). Did you know that you were prewired for hope? We all have been given a preset GPS that marks “home.” There is a restlessness in the human heart for something more than this world can offer. As Augustine said, "You created us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you." As believers, our hope is built on a sure foundation, and that is the hope of heaven. The apostle Paul spoke of faith that springs from this hope: Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth" (Colossians 1:4). It is a bit like the Golden Plovers. Native to Hawaii, these little birds migrate during the summer to the Aleutian Isles, some 1,200 miles away. There they mate and lay their eggs. Then, after their little fledglings are born, they return to Hawaii. Even more amazing is that their little fledglings, which are too young to return with their parents, fly to Hawaii once they have grown a little. God has given them a homing instinct that makes this possible. In the same way, God has given us a homing instinct for a place we have never been. We have never been to heaven, but we long for it, because heaven is our home. C. S. Lewis calls it the “inconsolable longing.” This is what the Bible means when it says that God has set eternity in our hearts (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:11). Like the Golden Plovers, we have a heavenly GPS. This truth has incredible repercussions for us in the circumstances of life. Whether we find ourselves in a time of peace or a time of trial; whether we have made a good choice or a poor choice; we are bound for our heavenly home. And, we will arrive safe and complete. For me this gives me great hope in the future. Regardless of my limitations, I know God being limitless will never lose me to some other person, place, or thing. Even the choices I make, though they may take me far afield from my “perfect” path, God will not let me stray so far that his presence is not affecting the outcome of my final disposition. He is bringing me home. I can make that a lot easier on myself if I will merely trust him. How about you? Maybe it’s time to set your path to take you home the best route!