Settling

From Wandering to Dwelling

By: Geoffrey Schmitt

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

From Eden’s garden to the New Jerusalem, the Bible tells a story of settlement. God’s people are not only called to go and to follow, but also to dwell, to root, to plant, and to rest. Settling: From Wandering to Dwelling traces this theme across Scripture, history, and personal experience.

We begin with Adam and Eve in Eden, Abraham’s tents, Joshua’s rest, and Israel’s exile. We move into the New Testament, where Christ dwells among us and Paul prays for believers to be rooted in love. Alongside biblical study, we look at history: monks who vowed stability, Pilgrims and pioneers who sought freedom, Amish who remain rooted, and parish churches that anchored generations.

Personal stories bring the theme to life—from childhood moves in Pennsylvania, to ministry “tents” across the country, to a final settling in Arkansas where orchards and prison ministry intertwine. Each chapter offers Scripture, teaching, reflection, poetry, and prayer, guiding readers to see settlement as both gift and calling.

True settlement is never only about comfort. It is about being rooted in God, established in love, and sent in mission. And it is about hope—the promise of the New Jerusalem, where all restlessness will be stilled and God will dwell with His people forever.