Home: a Restful Haven

 ​ 
by Christina Vinson from 365 Devotions for Finding Rest

God, I pray that Your love so fills me that it spills out into my home.

The Homiest Home

My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. — Isaiah 32:18 NLT

When you picture a homey sort of home, what comes to mind? A crackling fireplace, a warm meal, lots of laughter, and a comfortable bed? Perhaps you picture your grandmother’s home with all its quirks and charm.

The very best homes are those places where you feel comfortable and relaxed.

They’re not usually model homes, and you won’t find them on the cover of a magazine, but they’re homey — and that makes all the difference.

Does your home inspire such feelings? If not, perhaps it’s time to make some changes. That doesn’t mean you need a complete redesign or all new furniture and rugs. Instead, hominess begins with a restful atmosphere of love. Your home should be a safe escape from the world, where all are made to feel welcome and wanted.

The homiest homes are outfitted with frequent hugs, bright smiles, and warm encouragement.

Whether yours is a home for one or for twenty-one, make it a haven of restful welcome for all who enter it.

Prayer: God, I pray that Your love so fills me that it spills out into my home.

*

Content at Home

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked. — Psalm 37:16

Is it hard for you to be content in your home? Whether it’s an apartment with roommates, a house with three kids, or a condo by the ocean, home is the place we lay our heads at night. And sometimes it’s the place we critique the most. Your furniture may be fine, but your neighbor’s new leather sofa makes yours suddenly look shabby. You don’t mind being squeezed into a two-bedroom duplex until your sister buys a six-bedroom home. Your outdated kitchen cooks meals perfectly well, but when you see your colleague’s state-of-the-art appliances, it just doesn’t seem to do the job.

Contentment is hard.

Even at home in the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve wanted more. And since then, the world has been broken. No, your home will never be perfect, and that’s okay. Find contentment in your home — flaws and all — and find a better night’s rest at the end of the day.

Prayer: Jesus, instead of seeing my home’s flaws, help me see it with a grateful heart.

Most times, the way we can love others the best is simply to open our front door to them and welcome them in. No matter what our home looks like, how clean the kitchen sink is, or whether or not we have the finer things. Is your welcome mat out for those who need a place to rest and be loved? .