In our daily devotionals, we are continuing to think about eternity, so today we look at what it will be like to go to a home Jesus has prepared for us. A home with Him. Here's what Jesus said:
1"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3).
There is something special about coming home. All of us have experienced what it is like after being away, whether for vacation, work, or some other reason, to come home to what is familiar. There are sounds, smells, and visual reminders when we walk back into our everyday surroundings. It is a very comforting feeling, the feeling of being at home. We even talk about some relationships, that we feel "at home" with a person. What we mean is, that person makes us feel like we can kick back and be ourselves, like we are when we are at home. As I write this devotional, I am reminded that many people all over the world have been forced to leave their countries and homes, and forced to leave their families and all they hold dear. Everyone should have a place of rest, a place to call home. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told the disciples that He was going to prepare a place for us. A place where we will dwell with Him, a home like no other. The home we have known in this life, no matter how humble, or how grand, will pale in comparison to what God has prepared for those who are His:
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT).
There is the story of an old missionary couple, the Morrison's, who were finally returning to America after serving Christ as missionaries in Africa. On the same ship was Teddy Roosevelt, the American president at the time returning from an African Safari. Bands and parades were going on in New York as everybody turned up at the dock to welcome Teddy as his transatlantic liner came alongside the quay. The crowds and press were waiting to catch a glimpse of Teddy finally returning home. The Morrison's were despondent as they left the port that day as they had little money, only enough for a very simple apartment. Henry was quite sad as he saw the welcome that Teddy Roosevelt received. He told his wife that something had to be wrong, as they had given 40 years of their lives for Christian missionary work, and no one cared enough even to come to the dock to welcome them home. His wise wife told him to go to the Lord in prayer about it. A little while later he returned, with a beaming smile on his face, having been reminded by the Lord, "You are not home yet, Henry."
If you ever grow weary of this life, remind yourself, "You're not home yet." Likewise, if you become complacent because of a relaxed lifestyle and put all of your resources and effort into enjoying the comforts of this life, think about this: This is not all there is. This world is not your eternal home. This life is just for a short while. If you have placed your trust in Christ, the time will come when the Lord will come for us, and we will pull out our tent pegs and collapse the tent either at departure from the body (death) or when our Master and Lord will return for us according to His promise. Paul, the apostle, wrote:
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1-4).
Taken from the series Insights into Eternity. Click on study 3 or the link: The Resurrection Body