GOD WITH US
A JOURNEY HOME
by Jeremy Pierre
Illustrations by Cassandra Clark
Text 2020 Jeremy Pierre
Art 2020 Cassandra Clark
ISBN
Paper: 978-1-633421790
epub: 978-1-633421806
Kindle: 978-1-633421813
Shepherd Press
P.O. Box 24
Wapwallopen, PA 18660
www.shepherdpress.com
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible
(e Holy Bible, English Standard Version),
copyright 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced,
or stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior permission of Shepherd Press.
DEDICATION
To Allie, pardon if I love you more each day.
To Ronnie, rest awaits you on the far side of war.
To Marlie, may your hope shame this gloomy earth.
To Frankie, your eyes were made to see hidden glory.
To Betsie, may you always shine like winter sun.
As delightful as our home is,
may each of you nd your home in God.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................... vi
A WORD OF WELCOME..................................................................... vii
NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE................................................................. viii
PROLOGUE - A JOURNEY HOME .......................................................... 1
CHAPTER ONE - AN EVENING WALK WITH GOD ......................................... 7
CHAPTER TWO - A TERRIBLE SEPARATION .............................................. 17
CHAPTER THREE - A TERRIBLE SEPARATION GETS WORSE ............................ 27
CHAPTER FOUR - THE FIRST CALL HOME ............................................... 37
CHAPTER FIVE - A KNIFE AND A BOY ..................................................... 45
CHAPTER SIX - A DREAM AND A WRESTLING MATCH .................................. 53
CHAPTER SEVEN - AWAY FROM HOME BUT NEVER ALONE ............................ 61
CHAPTER EIGHT - GOD HEARS A BABY CRYING .........................................69
CHAPTER NINE - WORDS OF FIRE ........................................................ 77
CHAPTER TEN - SAFE AND SOUND IN THE DEADLY NIGHT ............................ 87
CHAPTER ELEVEN - THE DANGER OF BEING NEAR GOD ................................ 95
CHAPTER TWELVE - GOD LIVES WITH HIS CHILDREN ................................. 103
CHAPTER THIRTEEN - FINDING A HOME FOR GODS PEOPLE .......................... 111
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - THE GIANT OF BRONZE AND THE BOY OF FAITH ............ 119
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - THE MUSIC OF BEING CLOSE TO GOD ............................ 127
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - GODS HOUSE EMPTIED ........................................... 135
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - THE MYSTERIOUS SERVANT ................................... 143
INTERMISSION: THE SILENCE OF GOD ..................................................151
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - THE BABY WITH TWO NAMES .................................. 155
CHAPTER NINETEEN - THE BABY KING IN DANGER .................................... 163
CHAPTER TWENTY - JESUS BEGINS TO UNDO THE SEPARATION ...................... 171
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - JESUS BECOMES UNCLEAN .................................. 179
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - CHILDREN GET TO BE NEAR JESUS ........................ 187
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - JESUS IS THE PLACE TO MEET GOD ...................... 193
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - THE MOST TERRIBLE SEPARATION OF ALL .............. 201
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - THE SECOND ADAM AND A NEW PEOPLE ................... 209
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - GODS NEW HOUSE IN A DARK WORLD ...................... 217
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN - BEAUTIFUL, DIRTY FEET .................................. 225
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT - JESUS IS ALWAYS NEAR .................................... 231
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE - FINALLY HOME WITH GOD ................................ 239
CHAPTER THIRTY - THE UNFINISHED CHAPTER ....................................... 247
POSTSCRIPT................................................................................ 258
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
is book was a lot more labor than anyone expected, as most things worth doing are. Here at the end of all
things, we would like to acknowledge the people who labored alongside us all the way.
We want to thank Shepherd Press for taking on this rather ambitious project. Specically, we are grateful
for the patient leadership of Aaron Tripp, Rick Irvin, and Jim Holmes. Layout is that nal step that makes
words and images shine, and Chase Jacobs brought his own creative light to this book. We also want to
thank the Pierre Family Foundation for its support of this resource, and pray that it will prove to be worthy
of the foundations vision to put rich theological material in front of people. We also want to acknowledge
our brothers and sisters at Clion Baptist Church, who have strenghtened our faith on the journey home.
In addition, each of us would like to individually thank a few folks:
Jeremy Im compelled to mention my parents rst, as they put up with a kid whose love for creative writ-
ing was sadly not matched with ability. But they never let on they were aware of this gap. ey let me live
in this illusion long enough to get at least a little traction. But more importantly, they raised me to see the
world as Gods. I must also mention my wife, Sarah, who gets credit for any work I accomplish and blame
for none of it. She is the ground that lets my imagination take o and know where to return.
Cassie Tyler, thanks for journeying through my illustrations with me and for sharing in the joys and the
tears. You oered your eyes, ears, and heart so freely as I navigated the uncharted waters of artistic growth
I love you! anks, Mom and Dad, for nurturing my love for the Lord and good books from an early age.
Last, but certainly not least, thanks to our family and friends who supported me with prayer and encourage-
ment throughout this whole process.
Our last acknowledgement is the most important, and that is to the one true God, who reveals himself as
Father, Son, and Spirit in his Word and as Creator of everything good in his world. In him we live and move
and have our being. Lord, may you be honored by what you see here.
vi.
A WORD OF WELCOME
e Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.
Augustine
is world is not our home. We live east of Eden and short of heaven. e earlier children understand
