Day 4: What Do You See?

Stephanie Van Ruler
Homes & Health Team

Matthew 25: 31- 40

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

For Reflection

Home. Home is a place. Home is a refuge. Home is a haven. Home is a feeling. It is hope. When we are away from our physical home, we long for the smells, the warmth, the colors, the pictures, and the people who transform physical materials into a home. Home is both the people and the place we escape to after a long day. Home is safety, security, stability, opportunity. Home is hope. Hope for the future, for opportunities, and new beginnings.

Look around your home. Reflect on the feelings you are surrounded by when sitting in the quiet of the morning. What do you feel? What hopes do you sense are on the horizon? Where is God taking you to today? Have you asked him to show himself to you today?

It is easy to wake up each morning, put our feet to the ground and start running. Sometimes physically and other times in a robotic way. We live expecting that our home, our safety, our stability, our security, our family and our future will always be there. But what if it is not? What if it is not for our neighbors? What if our brothers and sister who live two houses down, across town, or across the globe are suffering or don’t have a safe, stable, secure home?

Not everyone has the physical security of a home. Many of our neighbors don't have their own physical home; they may share one room with lots of others. They have lost or left their family. What is home to them has been redefined, reshaped, and the gaps filled by the people God has placed around them. God makes clear that he calls each of us to fill these gaps in his scripture.

Will you listen?

Prayer

Dear God, open up our eyes. We confess that we get caught up in our own lives and stop opening our hearts and our minds to the people around us. Give us the ability to truly see our neighbors, to have a heart of compassion that seeks to be your hands and feet to those who are hurting. We want to be your love in this world. Give us opportunities to serve.

Dig Deeper

Today I challenge you to drive around your city. Not just main street, but the streets where you don't know the people living in the homes. Drive through areas of your city that you may not even know existed. (They are there, even if you don't think they are). What do you see? What do you feel? What do you notice? Do you see God working? Is he stirring inside your heart?