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Home Improvements of the Heart

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.  Psalms 84:2 NIV

After searching for years for an affordable home, Nick and I finally found one.

Although small, it was perfect for us. Nothing excited us more than the prospect of moving into our new home, unpacking, hanging pictures, and making it our own.

Before we could move in, several items required attention. The chipped bedroom walls needed a fresh coat of paint. The carpet needed cleaning, dusty cabinet shelves needed a hefty scrubbing, dim lightbulbs needed replacing, and left-behind possessions of the previous owners needed discarding. Although the lengthy to-do list overwhelmed us, we enjoyed the reward of finally being able to settle in.

“I want to stay here forever,” I exclaimed to Nick. But I had to remind myself that this wonderful home God had provided was only a temporary dwelling. My forever home was elsewhere.

When I contemplate being reunited with my Creator, dwelling in His house, gazing on His beauty, and worshipping Him for all eternity, I’m left speechless. Heaven is the home I will never want to leave.

As I reflect on the day I will enter my eternal dwelling place, I’m reminded of the many home improvements my heart needs in the meantime. Such reparations are far more crucial than any I could perform on my physical home since they have implications not only in this life but also in the life to come.

Scrubbing out the bitterness from my heart, I must forgive those who have wronged me. Replacing the windowpanes of my eyes, I strive to see those around me with Christ’s eyes and to love them as He does. Swapping out the dim lightbulbs in my soul with those of much higher wattage, I desire to act as a bright light for Jesus in our world.

As I trust the Holy Spirit’s good work in me and continue to seek and emulate Him, I know the renovations of my heart will not be in vain.

Does your heart, like mine, need home improvements? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the areas needing some servicing and trust His good work in you, which will not cease until you’re called home.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)


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Emily Marszalek

Emily Marszalek enjoys the simple pleasures in life with her best friend, Nick, and their two Goldendoodles, Charlie and Lucy, in the Pacific Northwest. Her writings have appeared in publications including Angels on Earth, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Listen to Your Dreams, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Blessings of Christmas, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Kindness Matters, CBN.com, The Lutheran Digest, Refresh Bible Study Magazine, Daily Inspired Life, and Insight