We continue to think about eternity in our daily devotionals, so today, we look at what it will be like to go to a home Jesus has prepared for us—a home with Him.
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. We have all experienced what it is like after being away, whether for vacation, work, or some other reason, to go 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 by saying 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 can when we are home. All over the world, people have been forced to leave their families, homes, countries, and all they hold dear. Everyone should have a place of rest, a place to call home. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His disciples that He would prepare a place for us. A place where we will dwell with Him, a home like no other. The house we have 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 Morrisons, who finally returned 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 Morrisons were sad as they left the port that day because they had little money, only enough for a simple apartment. Henry was low 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. He returned a little while later with a beaming smile, 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 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).
Prayer: Father, thank you for the hope that we have in Christ and that He has come that we might have eternal life with you. Keith Thomas
Taken from the series Insights into Eternity. Click on study 3 or the link: The Resurrection Body. Here’s our teaching videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@keiththomas7/videos
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