“Longing for a place to call home,” it says on the front page at the very top of one of our papers, the NORTHERN NEWS, Wednesday, May 22, 2019. It is also pointed out that the story is on page three.
Reading about home brings Heaven to my mind; not Germany, where I was born and not New Zealand either, where I now live.
The Bible tells us about Heaven, but hymnbooks also. Looking up the Topical Index in REDEMPTION HYMNS I find many hymns on heaven.
“I’m just a poor wayfaring stranger, while traveling through this world below,” is the beginning of one hymn, I find in the book.
“Going home, going home, I’m just going home,” begins the hymn by William Fisher, who lived from 1861-1948.
Jessie B. Pounds, who lived from 1861-1921 tells us how she is going home in her hymn with these words, “I am going home by the way of the cross, there is no other way but this.” The music to this hymn is by Charles H. Gabriel.
The hymn “I’ve a home prepared where the saints abide, just over in the Glory Land,” by James W. Acuff, reminds us of the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in John 14:2, where we read, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”
Who knows the hymn, “I’ve got a home in glory-land that outshines the sun, I’ve got a home in glory-land that outshines the sun, I’ve got a home in glory-land that outshines the sun way beyond the blue.”
I really like the hymn called, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through, …”
We must sing more hymns like this one by Thomas R. Taylor, “I am a stranger here, Heaven is my home! Earth is a desert drear, Heaven is my home.”
This is another beautiful hymns with a tremendous message, “I am just a weary pilgrim, traveling through this world of sin; and I’m waiting for that moment when the saints go marching in!” Can you says that?
There is one hymn I am really familiar with and that is the hymn, “Come along with me, to my Father’s house, …” Why? Although I cannot really sing, I sang this hymn anyway with the children while I was in charge of meetings for children during my time at Bible school many many years ago.
And yes, I read the story “Longing for a place to call home” in the newspaper on page three. It is the story of a day care centre for homeless people called Open Arms in Whangarei, south of Kaitaia, where I live. The day care centre is s lifeline for people on the streets.