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September 20, 2013
No Place Like Home |
"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?" John 14:1-2 (NLT)
My daughter Morgan was moving into her first apartment. We had spent the summer shopping for everything she would need, but even after the necessities were purchased, her list of wants and perceived "needs" continued to grow.
Pretty artwork and picture frames. Lamps and decorative rugs. Soft blankets for the couch. Not basic necessities for everyday living, but Morgan's way of trying to create a home: somewhere she felt loved and secure.
Don't we all long for a place to call home? Jesus knew this same desire rested in the hearts of His followers. They had left everything to be with Him, and their longing for home was real. In John 14:1-2, Jesus told His disciples that He would soon be leaving the earth. Jesus knew they were concerned, and He wanted to ease their worries while giving them strength to carry on.
As a comfort, Jesus reassured His disciples they would see Him again at "home." He said, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?" (John 14:2)
Jesus was referring to Heaven, an eternal home prepared for us after this life. In Heaven, there is room for everyone and all are invited to live there. But not everyone accepts this invitation or knows how to accept it. In fact, even the disciples were perplexed about what Jesus was telling them.
To help them understand this promise of His Father's house and how they could join Him there, Jesus explained in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me" (NLT).
Many try to work their way ... buy their way ... or rationalize their way into Heaven. But Jesus is the only way. We must willingly accept the invitation Jesus extends to make Him Lord of our lives so we may one day live in His Father's home.
Countless people have accepted that invitation. Yet many others haven't. Whether we've done so or not, everyone has a longing for the safe haven of Heaven. This desire is talked about in Ecclesiastes 3:11b, "He has also set eternity in the human heart" (NIV).
God created us with an innate yearning for our heavenly home. And while that longing will not be filled with anything on earth, it will be satisfied in Heaven. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we receive His invitation to spend eternity with Him and have our desire for home be complete in Him.
This home in Heaven will be filled with the presence of God, overflowing with love, peace and rest. A place where sorrow and suffering doesn't exist. Joy will be experienced like never before.
My daughter wanted her home to feel special; many of us do. But no matter how many cozy throw pillows and lovely curtains we add, our house here on earth will never really satisfy our desire for "home." Nor can it compare to the magnificence of our heavenly home.
Perhaps that longing for something more ... for "home" ... resonates within your heart. A place where you are welcomed and loved. The wonderful news is your heavenly home has been prepared for you. By surrendering your heart to Jesus and obeying Scripture, you accept your invitation to a home where you'll be overjoyed to spend time forever.
Jesus, my heart yearns to experience the comfort, peace and eternal joy in the heavenly home prepared for me. Ready my heart to accept Your invitation of eternal life. I want You to dwell in my heart now, and I long to live with You in Heaven. Amen.
Related Resources:
Visit Tracie Miles' blog to watch a video about when her journey with God began.
Follow Tracie's Pinterest board to download a free 7-DAY PRAYER printable.
Get to know God through the pages of the NIV Real-Life Devotional for Women. Proverbs 31 Ministries has included a year's worth of devotions for you that unpack Scripture and share God's truth.
Reflect and Respond:
Do you know Jesus?
If you haven't done so yet, what is holding you back from accepting Jesus' invitation to an eternal home in Heaven?
Power Verse:
Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (NIV)
© 2013 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
630 Team Rd., Suite 100
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Friday, 20 September 2013.
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