I have moved several times throughout my life, mostly ministry related. It always takes some time to get settled in and acclimated to a new place. But this move has been a little bit different.

I don’t really know what it is. It could be that the ages of some of our kids are older. Maybe it is because my wife and I are older. Perhaps it’s the home repair issues we have had to deal with, or the car accident that occurred shortly after we moved. Or, it could be the proximity to the holiday season. Whatever the case, I feel like we just haven’t gained our equilibrium after the move to Sedalia.

I’m not sure what is causing this (actually, I think I do. More on that in a minute). We just seem to be slow in getting settled in. Boxes are still not unpacked. Stuff still hasn’t been put away or hung on the walls. We just feel out of sorts.

During this transition, and in the weeks leading up to it, I felt the leading of God like never before. So I am absolutely certain that he has been right in the midst of this. Which leads me to believe that the unsettled feelings we have been experiencing are an attack by the enemy to discourage us and keep us off balance. The enemy is keeping us from making this house a new home.

As a result, I have been doing some studies through the Bible on people who have moved, such as Abram, who left home for an entirely new country. Or Jesus himself, who moved from Nazareth to establish his home base in Capernaum. What was home like for people such as these? How did they rely upon the Father fully during such times of upheaval? What does the Bible have to say about the concept of home?

Through this, I have decided to take a look at this idea of home, not just from these stories and others like them, but God’s perspective about home, and what he has in store for us. Through the month of December, I will be preaching on the theme of coming home for Christmas, and the plans that God desires for each of us, realized through the birth, the life, and ultimately the death and resurrection of Jesus.

My hope is that through my own desires to understand this idea better, I can help others understand it better as well. I am confident that God has a plan for my life and the life of my family. I know that he has clearly led us to this place to serve him. And I know that he desires that we get settled in so that we can be as effective in that service as we can be. So this year, our goal is to make this new house a home and reflect on what God has called us to, not just here in Sedalia, but for our entire lives.

Please don’t read this and think that we are discouraged. We are not discouraged. Sure, we have had a few moments of that, as anyone would in a new location. We are fully aware that God is in control of everything, and we have made several new, great friendships already. I am not discouraged; rather, I am expectant. I am ready to see what God plans on doing in the days and weeks to come. I am excited.

And we are beginning to feel like we have finally come home. Even though the house still has some boxes, and even though we still have a lot to do, we feel like we have finally come home for Christmas.

Question: What does the concept of home mean to you? How does God reinforce this idea in your life, especially at such a time as Christmas? You can leave a comment by clicking here.