Where Shall We Live?

The sainted Ray Stedman continues his ministry through the Ray Stedman website and the organization that publishes his writings and a series of daily devotions. I appreciate what Ray taught and feel very close to him because of them. Here's what Ray says about the many rooms in the Father's house (John 14:1-14): 

 We must ask, "What is the Father's house?" Most of us take this to mean heaven, for heaven is usually viewed as the place where God dwells, but "heaven" is a very vague term. If we let Scripture interpret Scripture (as good expositors should) we would perhaps refer to a passage in the last chapter of Isaiah, where God says, "Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool," (Isaiah 66:1). This implication is clear that God dwells in the entire universe; that this vast cosmos, of which we are but a tiny part, is the Father's house. "In it," Jesus declares, "are many rooms." The word in Greek for "rooms" really means 'a place to live.' This word appears but twice in the New Testament, here and in Verse 23 of this same chapter. In that verse Jesus says, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

 The question of 'a place to live' is one that has occupied my wife and me for some time. You see, by God's grace and utmost generosity, we have the privilege of two houses we may call home, one in Texas and one in Colorado. I write these words from our Colorado house where we have lived for the past month. To this time, we've not considered this house our 'home', but rather our 'vacation home' where we come for a few weeks before returning 'home' to Texas. We're rethinking where we should live. Should we continue to move back and forth between two houses or finally sell one and settle down once and for all either in Colorado or in Texas? And yes, I know, it is a rare privilege to have two houses.

Regardless of how this all works out, the words of our Lord in John 14 are a great comfort to each one of us who believe in Him—especially for those of us who may not even own one house, let alone two. In all this vast creation, our Lord has a special place reserved just for me. He who has already set up house in my heart (John 14:23), has a plan and a place where He plans for me to be. He has reserved it for me by His cross and resurrection. He has prepared that 'room', that dwelling place, that house, that mansion where He wants me to serve Him forever and ever.

In Christ I have a purpose and a destiny. When I get there I will know with certainty that I have come home! This finally will be my place to live forever. I can hardly wait to get home. As the Apostle Paul said, "My desire is to depart and be with Christ" (Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 2 Timothy 4:6).