for in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. [2 cor 5:2-3]
my grandpas name is dale earley, but I just call him poppop. he always says to me “don’t get old!” this week my grandfather has been in the hospital because of a disease called copd. and, i have never in my life experienced fully what it looks like to groan in this tent until this week. pop longs to be home in the building his heavenly father built for him. oh because of the fall, because of sin, we are in these temporary feeble dwellings. what adam and eve lost in the garden, that is what we have to long for.
at this present in this mortal body we groan being burdened, for our spirit is liberated from bondage, but our body is not yet emancipated -spurgeon
i find it hard to be grateful for my body some days and others i find it too easy to be complacent within this earthly vessel. paul is not calling the corinthians to neglect their bodies because they are temporary. in fact in his first letter, he said, “do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? you are not your own; you were bought at a price. therefore honor God with your bodies.” [1 corinthians 6:19-20] yet, paul says we are “longing to put on our heavenly dwelling.”
so, we are at a place where it is both. we treat our bodies as a gift from God, yet we also groan and long for our heavenly bodies.
in order to draw into the presence of God today, thank him for your body, which he knit together in your mothers womb. but also, pray for urgency as you long for you heavenly dwelling.
~ holly russell