Monthly Archives: May 2023

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11- 12).

In English, a “sojourner” is a person who resides temporarily in a particular place or a sojourner is a person who lives as a foreigner temporarily in a place that is not his permanent home. Today, someone may go to a foreign country to live for a couple of years with the intent of returning home. This person is a sojourner. if the person does not intend to return home and becomes a citizen of the foreign country, s/he is not sojourning.

The Bible teaches that all people are sojourners here on earth, and believers in both the Old and New Testaments viewed themselves as pilgrims who were living as temporary guests on earth longing for their permanent and eternal home with God in heaven.

In Psalm 39:5, the psalmist David states,” Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!” A few verses later, he declares, “I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers” (Psalm 39:12).

To the New Testament believers, Peter wrote, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul”(1 Peter 2:11).

In Philippians 3:20, we learn that “our citizenship is in heaven, and James 4:14 describes the temporary nature of our lives as “a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

The author of Hebrews explained that those who trusted God in ancient times as recorded in the Old Testament “acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth who make it clear that they are seeking a homeland… and desire a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:13-16).

While people acknowledge the fleeting nature of life, believers understand themselves to be sojourners. Not only do we know this earthly life is temporary and that eternity with Christ awaits, we often feel like we are, indeed, strangers living in a strange land.

If you are a child of God, you too must be a sojourner since this world is not your home. As the common saying goes, we are in the world but not of the world” (John 17: 15 -21).

What do you need to know to travel well to that country called heaven. Here are four aspects of a Christian’s sojourning that it’s worthwhile to remember.

• First, there is the certainty of the homeland at the end. While we don’t know much about most of the details of our homeland (what it looks like; whether there will be buildings etc.,), we know there is a homeland. Jesus said. “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back to take you to be with me” (John 14:3-10). I am excited about that and I cannot wait to see what he has prepared. I know it will be fabulous!

• Second, we do not always understand everything that happens on our journey but God does. On earth, we will experience good times, often very fleeting, and there will be storms, elemental and spiritual. We will not always understand why, but God expects us to trust in him.

For instance, when God commanded Noah to build an ark because He was going to cause it to rain and destroy the earth, the request must have been perplexing because he did not know what rain was nor what it looked and felt like because it had never rained upon the earth. That said, Noah trusted God, obeyed and he and his family were saved.

Also, consider Daniel, a great prophet of God. When God gave him an end time prophesy to record for future generations, he obeyed though he did not understand the meaning nor when ye events he recorded would happen. Daniel said, “Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said,” My Lord what shall be the end of these things?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel for the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end.”” (Daniel, 12:8-9.

Both Noah and Daniel trusted the Lord. We must too and remain confident That God knows what Heis doing.

• Third, our pilgrimage to heaven requires sacrifice. As sojourners on this earth, we understand that our best investments are those that have eternal value. Jesus told His followers, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6: 19-21).

  As an athlete must sacrifice to condition his body, we must also sacrifice to discipline ourselves to be faithful to our Lord. To this, Jesus says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:24-26).

• Fourth, faith and faithfulness will keep us on our journey to heaven. Having presented Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah as faithful pilgrims, the writer of Hebrews says: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland” (Heb. 11:13-14). We also know that the promise in Revelation 2:10 is certain: “Be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

The journey may seem long and grueling at times, but God is faithful and He will take us to our heavenly home. So, keep walking, trusting, trying, and resisting. Do not lose heart. We are nearing home. Very soon, we are going to soar above the clouds straight into our promised abode. Let’s be faithful!

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