In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. John 14:2-3
My words…
Praise
One of the magnificent character traits of being the perfect Son of God, is that You always have the perfect response to any situation. Your comebacks to Satan’s temptations forced him to slink back to wherever it is he hangs out. When the teachers of the Jewish law verbally attacked You, a few well-chosen, perfect rebukes silenced them. You knew the multitudes would struggle to understand Your radical, new Way, so You offered a few well-spoken parables. Your eleven faithful followers clung to You during the evening before Your death. Their hearts were beyond troubled. And yet again, You spoke the perfect message of comfort – a message that would sing in their ears until the day they died: “I am going away, but I’m coming back. And then, we will be together.” The power of that message emboldened them to speak about You to others, even in the face of danger and death. Why? Because those words form THE most comforting message that has or will be spoken by anyone. Period. You are the source of the power behind the message. I could utter that message and it means very little. But when You speak that promise, it grows wings and soars, and sweeps, and swirls like an angel draping a canopy of sparkling light over a dark world.
The delightful truth that my omnipresent God actually has an abode is only part of the power of this message of comfort. Not only do You abide somewhere, this dwelling place is…well, it’s big. You live there, so You know. If that wasn’t pleasing enough, You include the amazing fact that You are the One preparing a place in this abode for Your eleven…and for me! And if there’s one fact about You that I know absolutely, it’s that You know how to create stunning beauty. Then comes the best part: We will be together in this stunningly beautiful place. My limited imagination cannot picture it (even though I give it a try quite often). It’s enough that I know it is a surety. When I am troubled (and even when I’m not), I lift my spiritual eyes and bask in the glow of the canopy of sparkling light.
