Going Home

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
March 19, 2024
John 14:1-3

This afternoon I celebrated a service of life, death and resurrection for a friend and former congregant. It was a joy to see so many gathered on a Tuesday afternoon to reconnect with each other and to remember a wonderful woman of faith.

I was filled with awe as family members and friends came forward to give testimonies of their life experience with this dear sweet lady. The preacher in me wants to say how having people share makes my job easier, and the friend in me wants to say, wow! I missed out on some really fun times because I had only known her these past 14 years.

At the cemetery, on this very cold and windy Tuesday, I shared from the text I have for you today; John 14:1-3; “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, 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” (NIV).

When I got home, I decided to go ahead and type up this week’s meditation, but where to start? Then my hands found a Meet With God study by Woodrow Kroll from 2007. In this particular issue, I read again the scripture from John 14:1-3 with new eyes. Here is a tidbit of Pastor Kroll’s teaching: “This lesson’s key verse gives us two golden action words to understand and apply: ‘let’ and ‘believe’. These two words anchor a choice that Jesus placed before His disciples and us. He essentially said, ‘Let not your heart be troubled; instead, let your heart believe in Me’. The same choice faces us every day. What are we going to let our hearts be—troubled or believing? Actually, our hearts are going to ‘be’ in some condition every day. Consider some of the reasons Jesus gave in John 14 to keep our hearts believing rather than troubled: Jesus’ identity. What trouble is greater than God (v. 1)?

Jesus’ home. What hope is greater than heaven (v.2)?

Jesus’ promise. What promise is greater than His promise of ‘a place for you’ (v.3)?”

I am now thinking of a song (I bet you are surprised – not). The song is “Turn your eyes upon Jesus” and the first verse begins; “O soul are you weary and troubled, no light in the darkness you see. There’s hope for a look at the Savior, a life more abundant and free…”

I hope you know the song and perhaps can finish the chorus as you go about your days looking for ways to believe rather than to be troubled.

Amen!