Unpacking and Packing - Martin Wiles

I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. Genesis 13:15 NLT

Once again, I assembled boxes to pack items in.

My recent resignation meant moving—thankfully, not to a new residence, but packing nevertheless. I love books. If I had all the books I’d ever bought, I wouldn’t have room for me and my wife or anything else to live in our small patio townhome. In spite of giving many away, I continue to collect. Moving them taxes the back and requires many small boxes—unless you are Hercules, which I’m not.

Presently, books filled one of our bedrooms and my office at church. Now that I had resigned, the books at church had to go. Moving … again. The thought of it made my stomach churn—even though it was just a small job. Three friends accompanied. Their extra hands and the fellowship made the task bearable.

Within a brief time, the books nestled in boxes, ready for transportation to our nearby storage shed where they’d stay until I unpacked them again. I rarely used any of the books I packed, but merely seeing them brought me comfort. Now, I’d have to say goodbye until a later time.

Packing and unpacking has consumed my life. I once calculated the average of how long I had lived in any certain place: less than two years. Part of this was my dad’s fault. With the exception of the last one, he didn’t pastor any one church very long. Although I didn’t intend to, I repeated his pattern.

Abraham was a mover, too. He and his descendants were Bedouins, until God told him to leave his homeland and go to a land where his descendants would inhabit and become as numerous as the stars in heaven. Abraham never experienced the fulfillment of that promise, but hundreds of years later his descendants settled in the land and became farmers and shepherds.

God has promised me a land also. One where I’ll have a permanent dwelling and won’t have to pack and unpack anymore. I can’t wait. That will be a welcome experience. To live in the same place for eternity. I’ve made the preparation for the final move by accepting the forgiveness of my sins offered by Christ. That seals the deal for me—and anyone else.

Are you packed for your final move?

Tweetable: Are you ready for the final move?

Prayer: Father, thank You for providing a permanent dwelling place for Your children where we’ll never have to move again.