New Home

I pray you prayerfully take this as the Lord leads you.

“New Home”

“Mom, look at this one!”

That’s a pretty white shell, Emily. Do you want to add it to the collection in your bag?”

“Yes, please.”

“I wonder where some of these shells came from?”

“Well, Emily some animals like crabs, outgrow their shell and must find a new home. The old one is left behind.  If the shell is broken, a hermit crab seeks a new home to avoid health issues and the new home will keep them safe from other predators.”

“Oh,” Emily said as her seven-year self went back to shell searching. 

The summer heat beat down. Emily’s mother Sara was reclined in her beach chair with her sunshades on, relaxing to the sounds of the waves crashing. 

“New home,”  the words went over repeatedly in her mind.  The Lord spoke softly to Sara’s heart. 

“Do you call the hermit crab a hypocrite, for the times it must find a new home?”

“Lord, I don’t understand.”

“Is a person seeking a better life for themselves a hypocrite for once supporting alcohol, then after experiencing the pain of not being able to control their rages and emotions, removing the bottle from their home?”

“If one seeks Me in humbleness and accept My Lordship, aren’t they saying they need a change, that their ways have led to destruction and the death of something : a friendship, a job, etc? One who pridefully sees no wrong with their life, will not seek Me, and even if they try I will resist them.”

Sara pondered the thoughts filling her mind as the continued, “One who comes to Me truly seeking a change, willing to obey My Way, knows their “shell of a life” is broken. A “shell”or “home” of lies the enemy spoke into their ears. The old home when I begin to deal with someone, starts to look different than before the blindness is removed from their eyes.  The blindness kept them from seeing the “cracks”, the fact that what they were living in a crumbling home.  The new life and “home” they receive when one bends the knee to Me as Lord and King, I don’t leave them defenseless. I give them the weapons of My Word and Prayer, two- way communication with Me.  It’s up to the one who lives there, to decide whether they want to use them, or just ignore the tools I gave, because they want something more spectacular or pretty. Dear child, do not neglect your weapons, otherwise the enemy may appear as “an angel of light “ to those who are unprepared or unaware, rather than a serpent, dragon, or roaring lion to the prepared and armored. Stay on your guard. Stay close to Me.  Let Me lead you in all situations, so you will remain close as possible, and we can work on what needs to be in your “home/ shell” , your life, before you step into eternity one day soon.  Know Me now, and you shall know Me better there. The relationship built and established, a continuation not the beginning. Those who choose new lives, aren’t hypocrites. They are growing and learning and moving into a new shell. Come as you are to Me, never meant never to change. I want those who come to Me to grow and learn to choose life in their decisions, not remain in the same habits and sin that were on the path of destruction.”

Sara sat up with a lot to dwell on. The sun was beginning to set. “Emily, time to go!”

“Mom, look at all the shells.”

“Those are beautiful, dear.”

Sara scanned over the bag for a few minutes. Small, medium , and large shells were within.  Shells that maybe some hermit crab or other animal abandoned for a bigger and better shell. Tomorrow , if Sara awoke to see the sunrise would be a new day, how would she spend it?  Would she clean her spiritual home, or was it time to abandon lies or sins that she  clung onto and kept although she had once bowed to Yeshua (Hebrew)/ Jesus’ Lordship? Only she could make that decision. 

2 Corinthians Chapter 5

For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. 2 For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,  3 if indeed being clothed, we will not be found naked.  4 For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened, not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit. 

6 Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;  7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.  8 We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.  9 Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him.  10 For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 

11 Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God, and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences. 12 For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance and not in heart.  13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. Or if we are of sober mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us; because we judge thus: that one died for all, therefore all died.  15 He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again. 

16 Therefore we know no one according to the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.  17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold,† all things have become new.  18 But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;  19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation. 

20 We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

James 4:1-10 

You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”?  6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”*  7 Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded.  9 Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

• All Scripture is from the World English Bible .