SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE


A Scripture devotional can be so powerful—but where do we begin? Getting started reading the Bible is tricky… so we’ve compiled verse reflections like this one with a Bible verse for today to help us connect with God in everyday moments. 

Our Place Is in His Kingdom

No place feels like home. 

“I feel like a stranger in my culture, my country, my family.” 

“I feel like I don’t belong.” 

If you’re feeling this type of way, or want to love others who do, check out this verse reflection from Christine, about her journey and how she’s found her place in his kingdom.

Scripture: Philippians 3:20-21

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

Written by Christine E.

The simple question “Where are you from?” used to induce confusion, if not anxiety. How do I explain that my father and mother were from different cultures, but I spent my formative years in a third? What does it mean that I speak three languages/dialects fluently, yet my accent and word choice ever mark me as an outsider? Where do my loyalties lie, as my passport countries grow increasingly hostile to each other, and I find each acting in repulsive manners? 

Where is home? 

Paul, writing to the Philippians, reminds me, “but our citizenship is in heaven.” He would know, wouldn’t he? A Jew with Roman citizenship, a Pharisee preaching to the Gentiles, the man who persecuted Christians now planting churches. Talk about not fitting in. 

Just as Paul did not find his identity in culture, country, or even education and career, I have learned to make peace with never feeling entirely at home. Jesus came and died for us, and by that, he called us to be citizens of his kingdom. 

Why It Matters

Do you ever feel like you don’t belong—sitting through a class at college where the professor teaches what you disagree with? Going home to realize that everyone in your family has a different political view than you? Do you feel out of place suddenly living in a big city, or a small town, or a different community than what you are used to? One day, we will all get to worship at Jesus’ feet with brothers and sisters from all different cultures and walks of life, and it will feel so right. But for now, let’s claim every moment of not fitting in, as a reminder of who we are called by and who we are waiting for.

 

We believe that simple devotions like this verse reflection help us to connect with God, so we’ve curated a whole stash of short Christian devotions. Check them out here!