Safely Home

by Debbi Weeks

I just finished the audio book, Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. It had to be an audio book for me since I just read way too slow to “waste” my time on fiction! I just love this book and I want to encourage everyone to read it (or listen to it as your preference may be! ).

Oh, how I wish I could summarize it for you so you couldn’t help but rush out and buy a copy. Perhaps this one little quote and the book’s dedication (I have to include it in its entirety) will do what I cannot:

“Real gold fears no fire.” Ponder that one for a while!

And this is the dedication:

“To Graham Staines, who left his home in Australia to serve lepers in India for thirty-four years.

To Philip Staines (age ten) and Timothy Staines (age six) who at half past midnight on January 23, 1999, as their father held his arms around them, were burned to death by a mob in India; murdered because of Whom they knew and served.

To Gladys Staines, who continues to minister to lepers and who said to all India, ‘I am not bitter or angry, I have one great desire; that each citizen of this country should establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who gave His life for their sins.’

To Esther Staines, Graham and Gladys’s daughter (then age thirteen), who said, ‘I praise the Lord that He found my father worthy to die for Him.’

To the hundreds of men, women, and children killed for Christ each day, ignored by the world but watched by the eyes of heaven – those of whom the world is not worthy.”

Whoa! Oh, that I would be found worthy to die for Christ! Oh, that I have been found worthy of even living for Christ!

Can’t you just tell from those two little snippets that it’s a book worth reading? Doesn’t that make you want to read it? And on the audio book can you believe they put the dedication as the very last thing?!

Here’s what I learned from Safely Home: we can live for ourselves and the applause of man or we can live for the eternal applause of God. When we become self-focused and self-absorbed we cannot be effective for God’s Kingdom no matter how influential we are in this world. But if we are God-focused and God honoring we can influence many (and perhaps many more than we will ever know) for eternity. What God calls each of us to is different, but the desired attitude and the goal are the same for everyone. God wants us to live for His glory, not our own.

Colossians 1:9-12 (The Message) “Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.”

Happy reading! (or listening)!

Father God, I praise You that You are holy. Thank You that You alone are worthy to receive glory and honor and praise.

I confess that I sometimes live for the applause of this earth instead of the applause of heaven.

I thank You for this book and the giftedness of Randy Alcorn to bring such an important story to impact lives.

Please help me to live humbly and for You alone. May You receive all the glory in my life.

In Christ’s Name, Amen

P.S. In a future blog entry I’ll tell you about the book I just finished reading – one small hint, it was non-fiction!

P.S.S. Thanks to my good friend, Marilyn, who several years ago recommended I read Safely Home.

P.P.S.S. I echo Sue’s exhortation from last week – come join us in studying God’s Word together! Pearls of Wisdom (POW) begins September 4^th!