May 24, 2019 (Friday)
The blog on Wednesday told about God’s people able to sing again the songs of Zion after 70 years of exile in Babylon. They dreamed about their home and eventually returned to their blessed city of Jerusalem. Thursday’s blog was about lessons we have learned about how precious our homes are to us. We listened once again to a very old song, “Home, Sweet Home.” Today we continue to think of home.
D.L. Moody preached a sermon on the prodigal son that stated three things about the rebel son who returned home: 1. He got sick of home. 2. He got homesick. 3. He got home. Over there in that strange place, having wasted all his money in sinful habits, he dreamed of home once again, and no doubt lost many nights of sleep dreaming of home. He decided to go home because he was homesick.
There is a beautiful song, written by Squire Parsons, about Heaven and it begins with these words: “I’m kinda homesick for a country to which I’ve never been before.” I love that song. Usually when we have melancholic thoughts of a place we love, it’s a place we remember from the past. In this song, however, it’s about a place where we’ve never been, but feel like we know it well, because many of our family and friends are there. We are still interested in this life and all the joys it offers, but we are also aware that this world is not a perfect place. Jesus, however, has told us of our home “far beyond the skies, a land of unclouded day” and surpassing beauty, happiness and peace.
SWEET BEULAH LAND
Squire Parsons
I’m kind of homesick for a country
To which I’ve never been before.
No sad goodbyes will there be spoken
For time won’t matter anymore.
Beulah Land I’m longing for you
And some day on thee I’ll stand
There my home shall be eternal
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land.
I’m looking now, just across the river
To where my faith shall end in sight
There’s just a few more days to labor.
Then I will take my heavenly flight.
Beulah Land I’m longing for you
And some day on thee I’ll stand
There my home shall be eternal
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land.
Beulah Land, oh it’s Beulah Land
Oh Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land