“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” John 14:1-2 NLT
Up in the safety of the tree branches, baby birds sit comfortably amongst the scrounged up twigs, leaves and fluff, awaiting their morning grub. Rabbits nestle up, deep underground, in the warmth of their chambers and tunnels. And, sheep lounge around, secure in their walled enclosure, safe from predators as the shepherd guards the door. Whether a nest, a burrow, or a fold, our homes are a place of rest, protecting us from the cold, from the heat, and keeping us safe from our enemies.
You could say I’m a homebody. To stay at home on a Friday night with a warm tea, comfy clothes, and a good book in hand is the dream. My home is a space where all things are known and in their right place. It is a place where I find assurance through the comfort of familiarity. And although this is not always the case for others who may not have a safe space to call home, our dwelling place was truly intended to be a secure place of peace. In Isaiah 32:18, God states that His people will abide in a peaceful habitation, secure dwellings, and quiet resting places.
In Greek, the word mone – or dwelling place, means staying, abiding, or to make one’s abode. It is the place, but it is also the act.
The word, to dwell, can also be used as an action or verb. Often used in a negative context, we brood in our misery and mistakes or “dwell” on the past. But Jesus starts this teaching by telling His disciples, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled,” in other words, don’t dwell. He instructs us to trust in faith and the assurance of His Word.
Dwelling in Faith
We must walk in confidence in the midst of things not yet seen (con fide – meaning “with faith”). Our belief is first birthed when we step out in faith and trust in Him. As Jesus says, “Trust in God, and trust also in me.” Faith is the starting point bringing us into the dwelling place of God. And while it is first a gift given to us, it is for us to choose to dwell in it daily.
Dwelling in Assurance
God calls us to dwell in His assurance. While we live by faith, we also have God’s Word to stand firm. Jesus not only gave us The Word, but gives us His Word, and reminds us when He says, “If this were not so, would I have told you…?” He didn’t only leave us with instruction; He backed it up by giving us reassurance. He explains it is only through dwelling in God that He finds that assurance. As John 14 continues, Jesus mentions in verse 10, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works.” As Jesus dwells in God, God dwells in Him. And, as we dwell in Jesus, God’s assurance dwells in us, modelling for us where our thoughts and hearts should dwell now and where we will dwell in the time to come.
When Jesus tells us that, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places…” (NASB) and that He is going to “prepare a place” for each of us, it sets our hearts longing for that permanent place of assurance. Interestingly enough, during this time of COVID, it seems that our homes—our place of refuge—have become a place of confinement, boredom and monotony, as we work, rest and play in the same space. This is because our ultimate dwelling place was not meant to be in the comfort of our homes, trapped in boxes of drywall and glass, but the dwelling place of the presence of our God. And as His Holy Spirit dwells in us, and we in Him, our Helper, encourages us to wait, in faith, and assurance, for our future place: THAT IN OUR FATHER IS ULTIMATE PEACE, COMFORT and REST. In HIM is the PLACE WE CALL HOME.
