Main message: Understanding earthly pilgrimage with determination to return to the heavenly home.

Bible references:

• V1. "I'm but a stranger here" (Psalm 119:19)(Hebrews 11:13)(1 Chronicles 29:15)

"heaven is my home" (Philippians 3:20)

"Desert" (Jeremiah 2:6)

"danger, sorrow surrounds me" (Psalm 18:4-12)

"heaven is my Father's land" (John 14:2-3)

• V2. "short is my pilgrimage" (1 Chronicles 29:15)

"cold, winter" (Genesis 8:22)

• V3. “at Saviour's side" (Ephesians 2:6)

• V4. "will not murmur" (Philippians 2:14)(1 Corinthians 10:10)(James 5:9)

"at my Lord's right hand" (Psalm 16:8)

Keywords: stranger, “Heav’n is my home”; Earth, drear, Danger, Heav’n, Fatherland, rage, Short, pilgrimage, Soon, overpast, rest

Interpretation notes:

• The hymn is in cut time and uses mostly stepwise motion, giving the melody a smooth character. 

• The first two verse lines use a limited set of notes and are repeated, while the third and fourth lines expand into a higher range with repeated sequences.

• The refrain repeats 'heaven is my home' several times.