John 14:1-4
“Don’t let this throw you. You trust
God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s
home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to
get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready,
I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already
know the road I’m taking.”
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
There have been a lot of
posts recently from parents who helped their college-aged students move
into a new space…cute room décor…bittersweet “good-byes”…excited kids
greeting old friends and making new ones. It is a daunting experience
to send your child away to college and trust that he/she will be healthy
and happy…make good choices…study hard and have a good time – all
without the “guidance and nurture” of his/her parental figures and the
comforts of home!
When my then-98-year-old grandmother made the
difficult decision to move to an Assisted Living Facility, she trusted
Greg and me to handle the details. And we did our best to ensure that
she would be happy and given the best care. We furnished her apartment
with HER things - down to the last plant and knick-knack. We made it
look as much like “home” as we possibly could.
I will never
forget how hard it was to pull out of her driveway and deliver her to
this new apartment…knowing that she would never live with total
independence again. But I also realized that we had done everything we
knew to do – and then some – to get her room ready. And while she
rarely told us that all was well, I heard from many others that she
often said, “This was the best decision I ever made.”
My
grandmother was no dummy. She knew that this apartment would be her
final earthly residence. But she also knew that Jesus was preparing a
far nicer place for her in heaven…the likes of which she had never seen
before. She had to endure her share of challenges on this earth. I
guess you could say she “lived in a dump or two.” But she never let
this squelch her hope and faith that better days were ahead…that her
room in THE Mansion was in the works! A friend joked that Jesus took His
time repainting my grandmother’s space to get the color just right –
she lived for 100 years 123 days. But I know that the end result is
perfect – and so worth the wait!
A lot of us spend a good deal of
time and energy on worry about things that really don’t matter. We
spin our wheels as we stay stuck in the ruts of worry, frustration,
anger, disappointment, and fear. We SAY we trust Jesus…but we don’t
live in a way that demonstrates this. We sometimes live in a few “dumps”
as “life” happens to us. We let the devil steal our joy…and what we
present to others is an example of someone who SAYS they trust Jesus and
want to serve Him, then lives like there isn’t an ounce of hope and
faith in Christ’s teachings and promises.
John 14:1-4 should
frame every single aspect of our daily living. The hope and promise
that is offered in these brief sentences should be the fuel that drives
us each minute of the day. Our room is being prepared…and it will be the
best room we could ever imagine, in the mansion of the KING of KINGS!
Jesus is busy getting the paint colors and everything else exactly
right! And in the meantime, the One who is creating this Masterful
abode for us gives equal time and attention to the details of our
everyday existence.
So what have we to fear? How can we
worry? Why would we waste a minute being angry or disappointed? The
best is yet to come…we know what lies ahead, and it will be glorious!
The time has come to live with the excitement and enthusiasm of a
college freshman off to inhabit his/her first dorm room…or the graduate
decorating a new apartment. We know that what Jesus has in store for us
is superior to any of these earthly dwellings…so why aren’t we living
with anticipation and gratitude?
Are you ready to demonstrate to
the world how much you trust Jesus? Do you honor the work and
preparation that He is doing for you by living every minute of this
earthly existence to the fullest – and with glory and gratitude for the
Designer of it all? Do you live with hope and joy in your salvation
through Jesus Christ…and does it show? Isn’t it time you did?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label heavenly mansions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heavenly mansions. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 5, 2015
John 14:2-3
There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with me where I am. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This morning, I substituted for the teacher in the pre-K Sunday school class at our church. Eleven three- and 4-year-olds arrived in their Easter finery to hear this weeks’ Bible lesson. Our scripture verse was part of John 14:2…”I go to prepare a home for you.”[paraphrased for the little ones] The teacher’s guide instructed us to discuss the crucifixion and the resurrection and burial of Jesus. Our art project was to color a picture of a tomb/cave…and attach a “stone” with a little brass “brad”, so that the stone could be “rolled away.”
The hole in the cave – or “portal”, as one 4-year-old described it – contained the words, “He is risen.” This was a fairly heavy lesson for this age group, but some of the older children had a decent grasp of the story and helped to guide the conversation. And as I talked with Timothy, Zola and Nathan at lunch and thought about what they gleaned from their morning Sunday school classes, I asked myself…”What is the “take-away” for ALL of us on this Easter Sunday?”
The people who developed our church’s Sunday school curriculum seemed to want us to remember two things: 1)“Jesus Christ is risen”; and 2) He has gone to prepare a home for us – with Him – in Heaven. The children and I talked about how glorious heaven with Jesus will be. During our lunch, Timothy expressed concern about dying and going to heaven, and I assured him that it will be wonderful – that we will have a mansion to live in with Jesus, and all sorts of amazing things await us.
I told Timothy that we don’t know what all will be in heaven, but we might even have swimming pools, trampolines and skating rinks. He instantly replied, “Man, I bet those dogs and Mam-ma are having a GOOD time!” He was referring to my mom and sister’s dogs who both died within the last year…and my grandmother who left this earth two years ago. In his five-year-old thinking, Timothy instantly connected with the only breathing beings he knew who had died. And he pictured them in heaven with Jesus…”having a GOOD time.” He had trouble understanding why we cannot see Jesus if He is indeed alive. I told him that Jesus lives in our hearts, and we can feel Him with us each and every day…and he clutched his heart and said, “He’s right here!”
So today, as we celebrate how Christ rose from the grave…how He lives in our hearts and is preparing amazing rooms and mansions for us where we will live with Him for all eternity…let us be joyful. We should each picture Jesus and those loved ones who gave their hearts to Him and have gone to heaven ahead of us “having a GOOD time.” We must desire to live in such a way that we will be ready to join them when our “room” is ready!
The tomb was empty…the “portal” was open and angels had rolled away a stone so heavy that even Superman or Iron Man could not have moved it singlehandedly! Only Jesus – or one of God’s angels – could do such a thing! He suffered and died because He loves us…He rose because a mere grave for mortal men cannot hold Him…and He rose to heaven to live with God and prepare a place for us. It’s a lot to take in…almost too much to consider…but such an incredible message for each of us.
I’ve heard other people say this, but the longer I live, the sweeter the thoughts of heaven become…and the more I appreciate what Jesus did so that I can live there someday. Easter Sunday is a time to celebrate…and shout…and praise God for His amazing gift of Jesus. He is risen! Jesus is preparing a permanent home for those who give their hearts to Him and invite Him into their hearts. I am one of them…are you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with me where I am. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This morning, I substituted for the teacher in the pre-K Sunday school class at our church. Eleven three- and 4-year-olds arrived in their Easter finery to hear this weeks’ Bible lesson. Our scripture verse was part of John 14:2…”I go to prepare a home for you.”[paraphrased for the little ones] The teacher’s guide instructed us to discuss the crucifixion and the resurrection and burial of Jesus. Our art project was to color a picture of a tomb/cave…and attach a “stone” with a little brass “brad”, so that the stone could be “rolled away.”
The hole in the cave – or “portal”, as one 4-year-old described it – contained the words, “He is risen.” This was a fairly heavy lesson for this age group, but some of the older children had a decent grasp of the story and helped to guide the conversation. And as I talked with Timothy, Zola and Nathan at lunch and thought about what they gleaned from their morning Sunday school classes, I asked myself…”What is the “take-away” for ALL of us on this Easter Sunday?”
The people who developed our church’s Sunday school curriculum seemed to want us to remember two things: 1)“Jesus Christ is risen”; and 2) He has gone to prepare a home for us – with Him – in Heaven. The children and I talked about how glorious heaven with Jesus will be. During our lunch, Timothy expressed concern about dying and going to heaven, and I assured him that it will be wonderful – that we will have a mansion to live in with Jesus, and all sorts of amazing things await us.
I told Timothy that we don’t know what all will be in heaven, but we might even have swimming pools, trampolines and skating rinks. He instantly replied, “Man, I bet those dogs and Mam-ma are having a GOOD time!” He was referring to my mom and sister’s dogs who both died within the last year…and my grandmother who left this earth two years ago. In his five-year-old thinking, Timothy instantly connected with the only breathing beings he knew who had died. And he pictured them in heaven with Jesus…”having a GOOD time.” He had trouble understanding why we cannot see Jesus if He is indeed alive. I told him that Jesus lives in our hearts, and we can feel Him with us each and every day…and he clutched his heart and said, “He’s right here!”
So today, as we celebrate how Christ rose from the grave…how He lives in our hearts and is preparing amazing rooms and mansions for us where we will live with Him for all eternity…let us be joyful. We should each picture Jesus and those loved ones who gave their hearts to Him and have gone to heaven ahead of us “having a GOOD time.” We must desire to live in such a way that we will be ready to join them when our “room” is ready!
The tomb was empty…the “portal” was open and angels had rolled away a stone so heavy that even Superman or Iron Man could not have moved it singlehandedly! Only Jesus – or one of God’s angels – could do such a thing! He suffered and died because He loves us…He rose because a mere grave for mortal men cannot hold Him…and He rose to heaven to live with God and prepare a place for us. It’s a lot to take in…almost too much to consider…but such an incredible message for each of us.
I’ve heard other people say this, but the longer I live, the sweeter the thoughts of heaven become…and the more I appreciate what Jesus did so that I can live there someday. Easter Sunday is a time to celebrate…and shout…and praise God for His amazing gift of Jesus. He is risen! Jesus is preparing a permanent home for those who give their hearts to Him and invite Him into their hearts. I am one of them…are you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 13, 2014
John 14:1-4
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
A few days ago, I saw a report on my Facebook feed about a house in Whitney, Texas, that sat on Lake Whitney (located between Ft. Worth and Waco). The home was, quite literally, falling into the lake. The 75-foot high limestone cliff near this structure had cracked and given way…and a large section of the house – and all of its back yard – were now gone…kaput…hugging the floor of the lake below! Today, authorities stuffed the garage of the house with hay bales soaked in diesel fuel...and burned it to the ground. This was deemed to be the safest method of removing the home…the ground was not secure enough to risk the weight of bulldozers.
This $700,000 home was constructed in 2007, and purchased in 2012 by Robert and Denise Webb, who also own a home in Miami Beach, Florida. The Webbs insist that inspectors and geologists had assured them that the 4,000-square-foot house was perfectly safe. A few weeks ago, they noticed large cracks along the walls and determined that the bluff near the house was breaking away and causing their house to collapse. So they moved out, shortly before a section did indeed fall into the lake below.
One news reporter indicated that the Webb’s insurance policy will not cover this disastrous event…that they will be financially responsible for the demolition and cleanup. The couple says they planned to leave the home to their grandchildren, and while they know it is just a house, there is a lot of sadness surrounding these events.
Honestly, I would feel the same way. No one wants to think of their home being destroyed, by any means. But if events like this one – and the April 27th tornado that ravaged central Arkansas – and other devastating events have taught us anything, we should surely know by now that “it’s just stuff”…that our earthly “mansions” are only temporary anyway. Frankly, Jesus made it pretty clear that anything we can create with our mortal hands pales in comparison to the amazing homes that await us in Heaven.
While we are scrambling to create earthly homes that range from compact and cozy to magnificent mansions, we often misplace our focus. We get so caught up in what we have or don’t have that we miss out on the true joy that comes from serving God. We get so worked up over “things” and earthly situations that we bring on everything from restlessness and exhaustion – to poor health and physical destruction.
I am very sorry for the loss that the Webbs have suffered. No one should have to endure that kind of physical, mental, emotional, and financial hardship. But I hope they know where their true “mansion” awaits them…and where to find genuine rest and comfort. If they place their trust in God…if they serve Him with their whole hearts…if they are focused on Eternity and the “bigger picture” of their lives in Christ…this will be a mere blip on the screen.
When crises come in your life and your “house” begins to crumble into the water, where do you turn? Is your focus on the “mansion” that awaits you with Jesus – and serving Him until your rooms are ready? Or are you busy building up “earthly mansions”…and running yourself ragged in the process? Do you notice the “cracks in the wall” that signal trouble on the horizon? Have you convinced yourself that your foundation is secure…even while you see your “backyard” crumbling and falling over the side of the cliff? Aren’t you ready to take a deep breath and rest in the LORD? Isn’t this a good time to evaluate your priorities and see where you may need to make some adjustments…or even a move of sorts? Which “mansion” has your attention these days?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
A few days ago, I saw a report on my Facebook feed about a house in Whitney, Texas, that sat on Lake Whitney (located between Ft. Worth and Waco). The home was, quite literally, falling into the lake. The 75-foot high limestone cliff near this structure had cracked and given way…and a large section of the house – and all of its back yard – were now gone…kaput…hugging the floor of the lake below! Today, authorities stuffed the garage of the house with hay bales soaked in diesel fuel...and burned it to the ground. This was deemed to be the safest method of removing the home…the ground was not secure enough to risk the weight of bulldozers.
This $700,000 home was constructed in 2007, and purchased in 2012 by Robert and Denise Webb, who also own a home in Miami Beach, Florida. The Webbs insist that inspectors and geologists had assured them that the 4,000-square-foot house was perfectly safe. A few weeks ago, they noticed large cracks along the walls and determined that the bluff near the house was breaking away and causing their house to collapse. So they moved out, shortly before a section did indeed fall into the lake below.
One news reporter indicated that the Webb’s insurance policy will not cover this disastrous event…that they will be financially responsible for the demolition and cleanup. The couple says they planned to leave the home to their grandchildren, and while they know it is just a house, there is a lot of sadness surrounding these events.
Honestly, I would feel the same way. No one wants to think of their home being destroyed, by any means. But if events like this one – and the April 27th tornado that ravaged central Arkansas – and other devastating events have taught us anything, we should surely know by now that “it’s just stuff”…that our earthly “mansions” are only temporary anyway. Frankly, Jesus made it pretty clear that anything we can create with our mortal hands pales in comparison to the amazing homes that await us in Heaven.
While we are scrambling to create earthly homes that range from compact and cozy to magnificent mansions, we often misplace our focus. We get so caught up in what we have or don’t have that we miss out on the true joy that comes from serving God. We get so worked up over “things” and earthly situations that we bring on everything from restlessness and exhaustion – to poor health and physical destruction.
I am very sorry for the loss that the Webbs have suffered. No one should have to endure that kind of physical, mental, emotional, and financial hardship. But I hope they know where their true “mansion” awaits them…and where to find genuine rest and comfort. If they place their trust in God…if they serve Him with their whole hearts…if they are focused on Eternity and the “bigger picture” of their lives in Christ…this will be a mere blip on the screen.
When crises come in your life and your “house” begins to crumble into the water, where do you turn? Is your focus on the “mansion” that awaits you with Jesus – and serving Him until your rooms are ready? Or are you busy building up “earthly mansions”…and running yourself ragged in the process? Do you notice the “cracks in the wall” that signal trouble on the horizon? Have you convinced yourself that your foundation is secure…even while you see your “backyard” crumbling and falling over the side of the cliff? Aren’t you ready to take a deep breath and rest in the LORD? Isn’t this a good time to evaluate your priorities and see where you may need to make some adjustments…or even a move of sorts? Which “mansion” has your attention these days?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)