June 19, 2012
I’m Just Passing Through
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
John 14:1-3 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Friend to Friend
I was flipping through television channels in a futile attempt to find something worth watching for a few minutes when the commercial for an upcoming movie grabbed my attention. A young man was trying to console his obviously upset friend. As he leaned across the table and took her hand, the young man quietly said, “God promised that everything will be okay in the end. So if everything is not okay, then this is not the end.” The profound and simple truth stopped me in my tracks.
It had been a hard day – for many reasons. I have to admit that several times during the day I had thought, “God, I don’t get it. Why is this happening?” I have been a follower of Jesus Christ for many years, but my faith obviously still has a long way to grow. For a few minutes, I had forgotten that this world is not my eternal home, and its troubles and trials are only temporary. You see, when I came to Christ, my citizenship was automatically and eternally changed from earth to heaven.
I read about an American tourist who paid a visit to a renowned Polish rabbi. The tourist was astonished to see that the rabbi’s home was just a simple room filled with books, a table and a cot. “Rabbi, where is your furniture?” the tourist asked. The rabbi simply replied, “Where is yours?” The puzzled American asked, “Mine? But I am only a visitor here. I’m only passing through.” The rabbi smiled and replied, “So am I.”
The apostle John wrote, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” In this passage, Jesus calls heaven “topos.” In the Greek, the literal meaning of this word is “place.” In other words, heaven is described as a real place. In this same passage, Jesus also calls heaven “oikos” which, in the Greek, literally means “a house or home, a dwelling.” Some people say heaven is “a state of mind, a dream or wishful thinking,” but the Bible is very clear about the fact that heaven is a real place. It is as real as the home and city in which you live.
· Acts 1:11 “They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!"’
Jesus did not go up into a state of mind, a dream or wishful thinking. He went to a real place and a real home.
· Acts 10:9-11 “Peter was going up to the roof to pray. He was hungry and wanted to eat, but while the food was being prepared, he had a vision. He saw heaven opened.”
· Stephen was martyred for Christ. While he was being stoned, he spoke these words:
"Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand" (Acts 7:56).
The Bible repeatedly refers to heaven as a real place ... a very real and very beautiful place. Heaven is the workmanship of God. Think about that for a moment. Jesus was a carpenter, a builder. He announced that He was going away to prepare for us, a beautiful home in heaven. We know what kind of work He does. He created the universe in six days. Jesus loves detail. Look at the wings of a butterfly. He loves color. Look at a rainbow or a sunset. He loves beauty. Look into the face of a newborn baby. Jesus has been working on heaven for over 2,000 years. What a place it must be!
When I hold the troubles and trials of this world against the backdrop of heaven, peace floods my heart, mind and soul. I just need to remember that this world is not really my home. I am just passing through. How about you?
Let’s Pray
Father, when I stand at the judgment seat of Christ and He shows me His plan for me
The plan of my life as it might have been if He’d had his way -- and I see
How I blocked Him here and I refused Him there and I would not yield my will –
Will there be grief in my Savior’s eyes, grief though He loves me still?
He would have me rich and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace while memory runs like a hunted thing down the paths I cannot retrace.
Then my desolate heart will nearly break with the tears that I cannot shed;
I will cover my face with my empty hands; I will bow my uncrowned head.
Lord of the years that are left to me, I give them into your hands;
Take me and break me; mold me to the pattern that you have planned.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Heaven is the heart and soul of our faith. It is a reality. Read the following two verses. Record them in your journal. What new truth and hope about heaven does each verse give you?
· Isaiah 63:15 “LORD, look down from the heavens and see; look at us from your wonderful and holy home in heaven.”
· Colossians 1:5 “You have this faith and love because of your hope, and what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven.”
More from the Girlfriends
Check out Mary’s E-Book Bible Study, Strength for the Storm, if you need help navigating the storm in your life. MP3 downloads, CDs and books are also available in Mary’s online store along with FREE resources on her site.
Looking for a Bible Study that is both practical and powerful? Check out Mary’s E-Book Bible Studies. Each one includes a study guide that you can download for your personal use or for a small group study.
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Originally published Tuesday, 19 June 2012.
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