Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. (Psalm 84:3)
As was mentioned in the previous devotion, many living things have a connection to certain places that satisfies certain needs — in this case, where a mother bird can safely build a nest to protect her young. In a word, this place for all of us is HOME. As has been said by many, “There’s no place like home.” In Jewish thought, home is the land of Israel, and more specifically, in the rebuilt Temple. Not having that particular component fuels the notion among many Jews that they are not quite home, just yet. That said, I believe that in a broader Biblical context, home is being exactly where the Creator has ordained that we should be — in His Presence — wherever we may be on the planet.
To abide under the shadow of His wings is to be in the most intimate of places, which means that we are sheltered from everything going on outside of that place. When we are “home,” in that respect, we are free from the world’s reach and all the attachments that would tether us to it. When we are “home,” we do not have to live in fear of what the world can and might do, because being in the Presence of the Almighty protects us from everything and everyone who would do us harm. As it is written, “Because you have made the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling” (Psalm 91:9-10).
In Hebrew, the word that would best fit the idea of “home” is בית beit — which means “house.” As I mentioned in yesterday’s devotion, the very first letter of the Hebrew Scripture is ב beit, which is emblematic of a “house” or “home.” In other words, the Creator’s heart has always been to have a home in which He could reside with those He loves; where He could protect them, and provide for them and where, together as a family, loving relationships could be cultivated. Taking all this into consideration, I find it fascinating to consider that the One who has no beginning or end; the One who has all power and all knowledge has a need — to love us and to be loved by us.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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