John 14:1-5
In the spring of 2008, sweet 95-year-old grandma came to live with our full frenzied four-teenager family. Grandma Cece, or GG as the kids called her, had always been very active. Even in her 90’s she was taking daily walks, volunteering in the gift shop at the local hospital, serving at church, teaching women’s Bible study, but macular degeneration was a thief of her eyesight and life as she knew it was rapidly changing. For her safety and ease, we made several adjustments to our home to help assist her with her vision impairment; removing tripping hazards, improved lighting, making sure all of her stuff was on the counter in plain sight, and we even purchased a new tv remote with giant buttons for her. But one thing that we were not prepared for was how depressed she would become from not being able to read her Bible. We tried an audio Bible, but it was problematic for her to use. So, the kids and I took turns reading aloud to her. Here’s what was mind-blowing to me: as a passage was read, she could usually finish the whole chapter. Just by reading one verse to her, she would then recall it by memory; most of the book of Isaiah, many of the Psalms, a good majority of the New Testament, specifically the book of John. But her favorites were John 14 and 15. All we had to say was, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” and she would recite the remaining 1,240ish words without skipping a beat. Today, we will focus on the first five verses of John 14.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; 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.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus starts out telling his disciples not to be afraid as his death was drawing near. He wants the disciples to direct their trust toward God and then toward himself. He reassured them of his presence, comfort, and love. He wants them to know that a future awaits them and that they will be with him. He is their guide, their truth, and the source of their life.
Grandma Cece experienced the pain of losing a son to the Vietnam War, her husband to cancer, a son to alcoholism, and burying her daughter far too soon. But she knew! She trusted! She believed! She knew that God was the source of eternal life and that His presence was the comfort and the guidance that she needed. Even during uncertainty and fear, she understood the next verse, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". John 14:6
Grandma Cece eventually began to forget things. She no longer remembered things of the past, didn’t recognize her loved ones, and became very confused about the details of her life. But the one thing that she always remembered, even into her final hours of life, . . . she knew Jesus and could recall and recite the mighty and powerful Word of God.
Jesus has done everything that needs to be done for us to be welcomed into the Father’s house. When we don’t understand what’s happening, we can rest in the salvation that Jesus provided and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us navigate the fears and trials around us. We can hope and trust in Jesus with a calm heart.
In the spring of 2008, sweet 95-year-old grandma came to live with our full frenzied four-teenager family. Grandma Cece, or GG as the kids called her, had always been very active. Even in her 90’s she was taking daily walks, volunteering in the gift shop at the local hospital, serving at church, teaching women’s Bible study, but macular degeneration was a thief of her eyesight and life as she knew it was rapidly changing. For her safety and ease, we made several adjustments to our home to help assist her with her vision impairment; removing tripping hazards, improved lighting, making sure all of her stuff was on the counter in plain sight, and we even purchased a new tv remote with giant buttons for her. But one thing that we were not prepared for was how depressed she would become from not being able to read her Bible. We tried an audio Bible, but it was problematic for her to use. So, the kids and I took turns reading aloud to her. Here’s what was mind-blowing to me: as a passage was read, she could usually finish the whole chapter. Just by reading one verse to her, she would then recall it by memory; most of the book of Isaiah, many of the Psalms, a good majority of the New Testament, specifically the book of John. But her favorites were John 14 and 15. All we had to say was, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” and she would recite the remaining 1,240ish words without skipping a beat. Today, we will focus on the first five verses of John 14.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; 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.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus starts out telling his disciples not to be afraid as his death was drawing near. He wants the disciples to direct their trust toward God and then toward himself. He reassured them of his presence, comfort, and love. He wants them to know that a future awaits them and that they will be with him. He is their guide, their truth, and the source of their life.
Grandma Cece experienced the pain of losing a son to the Vietnam War, her husband to cancer, a son to alcoholism, and burying her daughter far too soon. But she knew! She trusted! She believed! She knew that God was the source of eternal life and that His presence was the comfort and the guidance that she needed. Even during uncertainty and fear, she understood the next verse, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". John 14:6
Grandma Cece eventually began to forget things. She no longer remembered things of the past, didn’t recognize her loved ones, and became very confused about the details of her life. But the one thing that she always remembered, even into her final hours of life, . . . she knew Jesus and could recall and recite the mighty and powerful Word of God.
Jesus has done everything that needs to be done for us to be welcomed into the Father’s house. When we don’t understand what’s happening, we can rest in the salvation that Jesus provided and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us navigate the fears and trials around us. We can hope and trust in Jesus with a calm heart.
Posted in Devotional