This World is Not My Home
Words and Music by Albert E. Brumley
This world is not my home, I'm just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.
Chorus
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven's not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.
They're all expecting me and that's one thing I know.
My Savior pardoned me and now I onward go.
I know He'll take me through, though I am weak and poor.
Just up in Glory Land we'll live eternally.
The Saints on every hand are shouting victory.
Their song of sweetest praise drifts back from Heaven's shore
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.
That song has been going around and around in my head all day. I love that old hymn, and I think we should sing it more often..but then I think we should sing many of the hymns more often, but that is just my opinion.
When I read the words to this song, and many of the hymns I begin to wonder...what was the person that penned the words going through at the time they wrote them? Were they sick, sad, lonely, feeling defeated and depressed? Had they suffered a great loss? Had death visited their home? Were they just physically, mentally and spiritually tired? What was going on in their lives that would make them write what they wrote?
What made Mr. Brumly pen the words, This World is not my Home? I don't know, but I am glad that he did. It is exactly how we as believers should feel all the time. Yes there are things in this world that we enjoy, and rightly so. Our families, our circle of friends, a beautiful sunset, a new baby, so many things that the Lord gives us here on this earth for our pleasure. But...the problem begins when we love the things of this earth more than the world that awaits us. We love the things of man more then the things of God. That is where we get off track. Living for here, rather then for there.
Our lives here are very fleeting. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it, but they are. But alot of the time we live as if this is all there is. And that is not right. This is just a stop. We should live with appreciation for all that the Lord has provided us here on this earth. We should enjoy His creation, the people that He has brought into each of our lives. We should cherish the time that we have here and spend it doing His work. But..we should not idolize it. We should not hold on to it with a white knuckled grip. We should be willing to let it go, and realize that as believers in Christ, that this world is not our home. Our home is with Him, and one day He will call each and everyone of His children to come and be with Him..for eternity.
As for me the promise of the future with the Lord holds much more appeal that what this world has to offer. Down here we have to deal with a fallen world. A world that is full of sin, sickness, death, violence, all kind of vile ungodly things, behaviors and practices. But up there..all that will be over. I love the verse in Revelation that states," and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will be no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." I don't know how that strikes you..but to me it sounds so wonderful. No more tears, no more death, no more pain..wow now that is a promise to hang on to for dear life.
Well that's my musing for today. And no I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I have just been having bloggers block! And it has been a very busy week. Trying to get everything ready for my DD to leave next week for her great globe hopping adventure.
Have a great day
God Bless and Happy Trails
Ranch Wife
12 comments:
Well Ranchwife, your blogging audience will be expecting a heartfelt hymn from you sometime during the next six weeks while DD is off looking over Europe. No pressure, you've got six weeks.
Ha. Bloggers block. Psssss. Unblock your blogway and get to bloggin woman!
Very beautiful hymn. I love that. I think I will journal about that.
Ahhhh. Sara. Leaving. 6 weeks. -bursts into tears-
I really like this post and your blog. I'm a first-time visitor. What blows my mind is your statement in the sidebar that your daughter and son-in-law live on the same ranch you do, only 45 minutes away. Here in Georgia, where I live (in a semi-rural/increasingly suburban county), 45 minutes in one direction puts me two counties over. In the other direction, 45 minutes puts me smack in the middle of in downtown Atlanta. In N.M., that's all one ranch? Wow! And again I say, Wow!
I nearly left what would have been an incomprehensible comment on someone else's blog because of you! (But I didn't.) Someone named "Musings" visited my blog and mentioned she found it through Pat, the Arkansas stamper, so I "moseyed on over" to Pat's blog and saw your name, "Musings of a Ranch Wife," in her sidebar and just assumed you were that "Musings"! I was really enjoying your blog and was about to leave a reply to my commenter about having grown up in Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (Fort Worth is where the West begins; Dallas is where the East peters out)but that I had never been to New Mexico, although my stepmother's relatives live in Clovis and my old piano teacher moved to Las Cruces. Something told me to click on her profile and there was an oriental woman's picture, not your "ranch wife" one. Then I saw that her blogname was "Musings" only, no "of a ranch wife") and discovered she is a retired schoolteacher in Illinois who is about to move back to her native Hawaii after 34 years on the mainland. She would have been one confused retired schoolteacher.
But I'm very glad to have discovered your very interesting "musings" and will continue to read them in the future.
But I'm happy to have found your blog, because it is very good.
Cottonpicker...me write a hymn, ha, I think I am more of a jingle person. :)
Caitlin...its only 6 weeks..oh my 6 weeks..sobbing uncontrollably!
Mr. Rhymes..thank you for your kind comments, and I am glad you enjoyed your visit here. I bounced over to your blog and enjoyed it as well. I will be visiting again.
I guess it does sound crazy that we can be on the same ranch and be 45 minutes away. But it is true. This is a really large chunk of land. we have been here so long that we are used to it. This end of NM is very sparsely populated and driving is just a way of life. We drive 50 miles to church, and for groceries.
I am so glad that you didn't post to poor 'musings', bless her heart she would have been so confused. Poor little lady.
Anyway thank you all for your comments.
~M~ who is reveling in the fact that the wind is not blowing and it is absolutely beautiful outside this morning!
Yeah, no wind today!! Instead of skinny dipping (all the men are hay hauling today) I believe I'll go chunky dunkin'.
Girlfriend you better get out the sunscreen, nough said! Ha Ha
~M~ who may do some swimming this afternoon..and who will most definitely be wearing her swimming bloomers!
As usual...an awesome post. That hymn is a great reminder--we are only here for awhile! Have a great weekend. I hope ours is a dry one.
p.s. enjoyed the new pics
Cottonpicker - Chunky Dunkin! Hahahaha!!!!!! I am right there with ya! I have to go no further, I've had my laugh for the day!!
Ranch Wife - beautiful message - as always, God uses your words effectively.
Now - get that man off your blog - some woman may put him on a poster and sell him for good $$. 24 years is awesome!
I love this song :) Very good post, M. We often do forget that this old world isn't the final check point. I don't think God took the effort in preparing a place for us, so that we could not look forward to going. :) Heaven is exciting!
Be blessed,
LeAnna
Albert Brumley also wrote I"ll Fly Away which is my favorite hymn.
I found this quote:
"actually, I was dreaming of flying away from that cotton field when I wrote I'll Fly Away". That thought, of course, like the thoughts that underlay all his many songs, was based upon his own deep spiritual convictions."
He was also writing his songs around the time of the great depression.
so maybe that explains his longing for heaven. but it is a timeless message and thank you for reminding us.
Well don't you just have a cute blog!
Come on now! Preach it sister! Great post! I love that song too....in fact when I've had enough I start singing...."this world is not my home, I'm only passing thru"....over and over again.
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