Preparing a Place for Us

Hey friends, and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading, titled Preparing a Place for Us, was written by Adam R. Holes. Our family was planning to get a puppy, so my 11-year-old daughter researched for months. She knew what the dog should eat and how to introduce it to our new home, among myriad other details. Turns out, puppies do best, she told me, if they're introduced to one room at a time.

So we carefully prepared a spare bedroom. I'm sure there will still be surprises as we raise our new puppy, but my daughter's delight-infused preparation couldn't have been more thorough. The way my daughter channeled her eager anticipation for a puppy into loving preparation reminded me of Christ's longing to share life with His people and His promise to prepare a home for them. Nearing the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus urged His disciples to trust Him, saying in John chapter 14, You believe in God, believe also in Me. Then He promised to prepare a place for them, that they also may be where He is. The disciples would soon face trouble, but Jesus wanted them to know that He was at work to bring them home to Him.

I can't help but delight in the careful, deliberate intent with which my daughter had prepared for our new puppy. But I can only imagine how much more our Savior is delighting in His own detailed preparation for each of His people to share eternal life with Him. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from John chapter 14 verses 1 through 4.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. My Father's house has many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that 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.

You know the way to the place where I am going. Let's pray. Jesus, thank you for going to prepare a place for us. Help us to fully put our hope in you and not be troubled by the struggles in this life that might tempt us to take our eyes off you. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. I'm Stephen, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.