Verse of the Day 2/18

Verse of the Day 2/18

1 Peter 2:11-12  Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.    The Message (MSG)

I read this familiar passage in The Message over the weekend and it quickly drew my attention.  As soon as I read the words "this world is not your home", the first thing I thought of was the chorus that I learned many years ago in Sunday School.

This world is not my home I'm just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Oh lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home then lord what will I do
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

The second thing that caught my attention was "don't make yourself cozy in it".  Reading that on a chilly February morning with my robe on to feel cozy sitting in the recliner having my devotions.  We all like to be cozy, we buy clothes, furniture and have fake fireplaces in our homes to feel cozy.  The problem with feeling too cozy is that we may not want to venture out into the world.  Cozy will not get us to where we need to go.

The verses instead call us to lead exemplary lives, with a different purpose in the world.  We are to live as examples with lives that point to the fact that we are citizens in heaven and strangers here.  As citizens we are to live in accordance of the ways of where our citizenship resides, in heaven.  We also live here as ambassadors and as servants of the Master of our eternal home, doing His will for His honor and glory.4

On a cold winters day it is not wrong to want to be warm and dry, cozy even.   But let us not become too cozy that we don't venture out to do what God calls us to do.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

1 Peter 2:9-12 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.