Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

— Genesis 50:25

“Never forget where home is.” Joseph probably didn’t say these very words, but if you stood by his deathbed that day, there was little doubt about what he meant.

Joseph’s last words were all the more remarkable because he hadn’t lived at “home” for many years. He had grown successful and prosperous in Egypt. His children lived there. For all intents and purposes, Egypt was his home.

But knowing where home is means you have to know first of all where you have come from and where you belong. Many people grow up somewhere and never leave, and they cannot imagine living anywhere else. But in our increasingly mobile societies today, “home” can be harder to recognize. Where am I from, if I’ve lived in a dozen places during my lifetime?

Joseph reminded his brothers that their home was the place God had promised to their forefathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And one day God would bring them back there.

No matter how successful we may become in a particular place, the Christian’s home is defined by adoption into the family of God. Our home with God is only possible because God has come to our aid in Christ. Never forget that you belong to this faithful Savior.

You have told us, Father, that there is a place where we can live with you. You have sent your Son and Spirit to lead us there. May we never forget where we belong. Amen.