THOSE HEAVENLY MANSIONS

Another devotional I used recently for our nursing home was based on the well-known and well-loved Scripture in John 14. I used various portions beginning with verse 1 which says, "Let not your heart be troubled," and ended with verse 27 which repeats the same thing.

I pointed out the various reasons John challenges us not to let our hearts be troubled. First of all, God has prepared heavenly mansions for us. Regardless of where we live now, be it a small cottage or just a room in a nursing home, we know we have a mansion waiting for us in the future. Then Jesus says He is going to come again for us and that we will be with Him. Verse 12 tells us we will do the same works as Jesus did; in fact, we will do GREATER works. (Wow! That sure is mind boggling! Think on that for a while! We sure are living beneath our privileges in Christ Jesus!) Then we can ask the Father for anything, and we have the use of Jesus' Name, which is the same as though Christ were in our midst personally. We have the promise of the Comforter in verse 16. The Holy Spirit dwells with and in us in verse 17. Verse 19 assures us of the Father's love. Verse 23 reminds us that the Father and the Son abide with us -- think of it -- they LIVE WITH US! Verse 26 tells us that the Holy Spirit is our teacher. That's absolutely awesome! And in verse 27 we have His peace. It's no wonder John says again, "Let not your heart be troubled."

When we come home from our doctor's office, we drive by a mountain that has huge houses, mansions, I call them, all over the mountainside. I wonder where people get the money not only to build the lavish structures but also to keep them up. And what do they do with all that space? Do they ever get lost in their own house, in their own mansion? And then one day it hit me -- I sure would hate to have to clean those mansions! I should think it would take all their time just to keep the place clean! I can't even clean my own double-wide trailer -- a cleaning lady comes in once each month! Then another thought hit me. (Where do crazy thoughts come from, anyhow?) Who's going to clean our Heavenly mansions??? I hate house cleaning to begin with. But know what? I've got a sneakin' idea our mansions in Glory won't need to be cleaned! Somehow I just can't picture dirt in Heaven! The streets are gold, so we won't be picking up dirt from the sidewalks, that's for sure!

So today let your mind think about your Heavenly mansion and meditate on all the reasons you have not to let your heart be troubled!

Preacher's Kid