Devotionals

Getting Ready

by Linda Lawrence 
04/14/19
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“Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1-4 NIV

A child in our church family died after a month in ICU. We had pleaded, week after week for Jesus to raise her up. He did, but not the way we expected or wanted.  He took her to be with Him. 

Our pastor’s words helped put our grief in context.  “Jesus came to get us ready for heaven. . . He left to get heaven ready for us.”  

How I’ve pondered the wisdom of God’s plan.  It’s hard to call it a “wonderful plan for our lives” when it involves dying.  The Father’s plan for Jesus’ life was to die an excruciating death in our place—to prepare us for heaven.  Jesus told His disciples He must suffer and die . . . and live again. Somehow they didn’t understand, didn’t hear.  He told them, again and again, the plan but they were still shocked when it happened.

We were shocked when our sister in Christ died instead of coming home after an elective surgery.  She is no longer laboring to breathe, but we who are left are troubled.  But Jesus breathes life and hope. “Let not your hearts be troubled, believe . . .”  Believe God’s plan, fulfilled by Jesus, is preparing us for heaven . . . to live again. Believe Jesus’ promise to ready heaven for us. 

We ready ourselves by dying to our plans and putting our trust in God’s wonder-filled plan.