To Go No More Out
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Rev 3:12)
To go no more out. This is a thought that carries meaning to one who is a sojourner and an alien on the earth. There is more significance, however, for one who has spent much time away from home. The thought of being away from the ones we love, from the comforts of home, or from the place where we are loved, is one that can make the heart ache. God promises to the overcomer that he or she will be made a pillar in the temple of God, and that they will go no more out.
My heart is pulled to this truth like a thirsty man to a cold mountain stream. Thirst that goes beyond a dry mouth has been experienced. A thirst where one no longer perspires, where food is no longer appealing, and the body or soul cries out in anguish. To go no more out. To be quenched of my thirst, and to be home.
A pillar is stationary, is part of the building, would be missed if it was gone. A pillar signifies strength, and beauty as well, most certainly. I am being made into a thing of strength and beauty, a creation of God's hand. Not just a brick in a remote wall in the basement somewhere, but something that God desires to write His name upon.
What does it mean to overcome? This question may not have an easy answer, but God's word says, "This is the work of God, that ye believe". Believing in God, in the word of God, and in the promises of God is something that takes practice and exercise. This particular promise states that we will be made a pillar, and that we will never go out. Is this for the "by and by", or can we abide in God's presence today? Can we state that we are there even when He seems far away? Can I state in faith that I am "at home", even when I am sojourning on this earth? Why not?
I believe that exercising faith in this respect is part of what makes me an overcomer, and as an overcomer, I can begin to experience the fulfillment of God's promise to make me a pillar.