MARCH 19, 2015
A
Place To Be
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. —John 14:2
Read:
Nehemiah
1:4-11
A thousand strands of
time, events, and people weave into a tapestry we callplace. More than just a house, place is where
meaning, belonging, and safety come together under the covering of our best
efforts at unconditional love. Place beckons us with memories buried deep in
our souls. Even when our place isn’t perfect, its hold on us is dramatic,
magnetic.
The Bible speaks frequently of place. We see an example in
Nehemiah’s longing for a restored Jerusalem (Neh. 1:3-4; 2:2). It’s no
surprise, then, that Jesus would speak of place when He wants to comfort us.
“Let not your heart be troubled,” He began. Then He added: “I go to prepare a
place for you” (John 14:1-2).
For those who have fond memories of earthly places, this promise
links us to something we can easily understand and look forward to. And for
those whose places have been anything but comforting and safe, Jesus promises
that one day they will hear the sweet song place sings, for they will inhabit
it with Him.
Whatever the struggle, whatever the faltering on your faith
journey, remember this: There’s a place in heaven already waiting, fitted just
for you. Jesus wouldn’t have said so if it weren’t true.
Jesus, I can’t wait to live in the home You have prepared for
me. Thank You that no matter what my earthly place holds, comfort or pain, my
home with You will be so much better.
May the memory of our earthly place point us
with hope to our heavenly place.
INSIGHT:
Today’s passage contains a beautiful insight into what makes our future in
heaven so wonderful. In verse 9, Nehemiah quotes Moses saying that God will
bring His people into the place where His name dwells. It is God’s presence
that makes our future worth waiting for.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2012
