“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me." John 14:1 NIV
How often do you feel that your heart is troubled? Whether it be from confusion, heartbreak, disappointment, or anxiety: we can easily get discouraged when we don’t understand.
What about the disciples?
In John chapter 14, Jesus is speaking to the disciples after they voiced fear of death and what happens afterword.
After verse 1, He goes on to say, “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” (John 14:2-4).
So, why exactly were the disciples worried about what happens after death?
We see in the previous chapter, John 13,
“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:33-37).
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light. He is the only way to heaven to His Father’s many rooms. He will come back one day to take us all with Him. What a loving and glorious, Savior!
How can we be more confident in the eternal resting place of our souls? Consider talking with a trusted family member, mentor, friend, or elder if you are experiencing trouble with this. Pray and ask the Spirit to help calm your heart and mind.
'“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17 NIV).
Father, thank You for your precious son Jesus - that He was born to a virgin, lived, taught, and died for me. Thank You for calming my anxious heart and for helping me with resources in my life. In His Name, Amen.
You are so loved.
In Christ, Cami Renee Jones