Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Friday, December 12, 2 Corinthians 5:2

"For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling."

I've been fighting bronchitis this week, and this weekend, and beginning tonight I have three performances with the St Paul Concert Choir where I open with a solo, so pray for me! I'm on meds, and feel pretty good, but I haven't used my voice much this week and am praying it holds up for the full weekend!

I bring this up because it fits so well with this passage. I've certainly been groaning in this old "tent" of mine, and can't wait to go to heaven. When I hear people talk about wanting to live a little longer here, it boggles my mind. Why live in a world of sin and sorrow when you can be in a new, perfect body, no sickness nor tears, in the Presence of the One who brings you life, light, joy, breath, and substance?

I understand the plight of the unbeliever. They do not have the assurance that believers have with the Holy Spirit within, filling me with the love of God and preparing me for the place Christ has for me.

No, I won't miss this place, because it will be restored into the perfection it was supposed to be from the beginning.

What keeps me here is the Lord, for He has purpose for me here. I am never sure how that will show itself, but I wake up each morning, setting my affections on things above, and anticipate the day ahead for the "good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10b)

It is the great hope that we who believe live for! "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:1-2)

Don't get me wrong. This isn't a "death wish". This is a life wish! I won't be taken to Him until He calls, and I certainly won't hurry it! If it pleases my Heavenly Father to work His will in me within this lost and dying world, for whatever reason He chooses, I pray that each day I hear His voice and serve Him, no matter what the cost.

For I have only hope ahead of me after this life. Because of what Christ did for me, I am forever forgiven. And this hope fills me with a desire to be like Him, just as the Scripture in 1 John continues: "And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." (3:3)

This is the mindset of the believer. We groan in these weary bodies, and it seems that our focus narrows more and more toward the light the wearier these bodies get. Kind of like this compelling desire to "break forth" into the heavenly light of Christ.

So, while I groan with this sickness, I rejoice in that the Spirit comforts me, guides me, and leads me to the way of Life. And a place is prepared for me, when all is said and done.

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

*ESV used unless noted*

Memory Helps:

"For in this TENT we GROAN,
LONGING to put on our HEAVENLY DWELLING."

Two dwelling places: "TENT and HEAVENLY DWELLING"

Two actions: "GROANING, and LONGING TO PUT ON"

That about fits the whole verse, and we can make a word picture with it. We simply hear ourselves in that tent groaning. The tent gets longer and longer (longing) and suddenly reaches our heavenly dwelling, and there we are!

Well, the "Irish Washerwoman" worked pretty good for me, though it took a while to get the first line right. I'm going to use the second part of the song for verses 2 and 3, beginning today. I have to manipulate the words a little more to make this work, but it worked. Here is verse 2:

D    V     D         V     D     V etc.

FOR IN THIS tent we GROAN23 LONG ing to PUT on our HEAV en ly DWELL2 ing