A Place Prepared

We were about to return from teaching in the Netherlands recently when we were caught up in the travel chaos caused by fog in Europe. The flight we were due to take was cancelled, as were many others, and we were informed that the soonest available seat would be two days later. Instead of sitting there and waiting, we needed to find alternative ways of getting home, as it was to be my wife’s father’s ninetieth birthday the next day. Our host investigated the internet and found the last two seats on Eurostar so we could get home by train. The only difficulty was that we were told that the train was overbooked and we didn’t have a guaranteed seat.

To cut a long and tiring story short, we travelled in style from Amsterdam, but when we boarded the train in Brussels we were told there was no seat, but we could sit in the luggage area and see what happened. Eventually seats were found for us, and we got back to England, arriving home fourteen hours after leaving the Baak centre. The stress of the uncertainty was as great as the duration of the journey!

What a good thing it is that we don’t have such an uncertainty about our eternity. Our ‘ticket to heaven’ doesn’t have an unallocated element to it. Jesus tells us that our places are reserved, and furthermore he’s personally gone ahead to make sure that all is well with our accommodation. We have a Son-of-God prepared place for each one of us in the Father’s house. That’s a real privilege and beats the promise of a seat on Eurostar anytime!

The stewardess on the train was really helpful and very apologetic that she couldn’t provide us with what we’d paid for. Our Heavenly Father has sent the best possible Helper to prepare us, and His only Son has made the way for our entry into the glorious splendour of the Father’s majestic eternity. Moreover Jesus personally promises that He’ll come back and take us to be with him there. No standing in queues, waiting for permission to enter our destination, no security checks on the way (who needs luggage in heaven?), no warmed up pizza, but, rather, an amazing banquet awaits us there.

I’m still bewildered by the concept of heaven. I can’t quite get my mind round it. But I’m looking forward so much to being there, and finding out what Jesus has prepared for me. I know it’ll be very good, and it’ll be free from all stress and anxiety. So next time we get stuck in the fog of this world, let’s ask ourselves the question that a friend of mine often did: “in the light of eternity, does it really matter?” Look forward to the place that’s prepared for you.

Prayer: Thank You so much, Lord Jesus, for going ahead to prepare a place in heaven for me. Thank You that there are no sub-standard rooms in the Father’s house, and we’ll have the blessing of His eternal presence. When the difficulties of life happen, and we get stressed, please help us to re-focus on the future with You, where there’s peace, joy and blessing. Help us to see things in the light of that eternity. Amen.