A Guaranteed Reservation

 

“My Father’s house has many rooms…”

—John 14:2

Have you ever traveled a long distance and finally arrived at a faraway location only to find that the hotel has lost your reservation? Especially if you arrive late a night after a long journey, such an occurrence can seem overwhelming. Here’s one example:

I taught a seminar once in a southern suburb of Boston. Upon arrival, I discovered that my reservation for a handicapped-accessible room had not been honored. The hotel manager made no apology and, in fact had a distinctive, “take it or leave” attitude. This was particularly frustrating because, as one who held the highest level of that particular chain’s frequent traveler program with over 750,000 points, I should have been treated much better.

I struggled through the first night. It was so difficult to get ready in the morning. I almost fell several times. At the seminar, I made a joke about it to the attendees.

At the break, one of the attendees came to me and said that, to his chagrin, the hotel had placed him in a handicapped-accessible room. He would be glad to trade rooms with me.

This man’s kindness made the remaining five days of my stay in that hotel much more pleasant and safe for me.

When traveling a long distance, having a guaranteed reservation that we know will be honored when we arrive is very important. There is one reservation that we who belong to God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, can always count upon. The guarantee of our place in heaven fills the minds and hearts of God’s people from time to time. I can remember a gospel chorus we used to sing at Youth for Christ rallies in the 1950s and 1960s:

Heaven is better than this.
Praise God what joy and bliss.
Walking on streets of solid gold,
In that land where we’ll never grow old.
Heaven is better than this.
Praise God what joy and bliss.
I’m glad I'm walkin’ with Jesus down here.
But, heaven is better than,
Heaven is better than,
Heaven is better than this

Yes, once in a while—or maybe if your health has begun to fail even more often—our thoughts turn toward heaven. It is most comforting to know that—through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—we have a guaranteed reservation in heaven. Notice Jesus’ words, as recorded in 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.”

What wonderful news! We have a guaranteed reservation in heaven. Even though most of us hope to be here on earth for many days and years to come, we can take comfort that Jesus has gone ahead to prepare our place in the many-roomed mansion of heaven.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Friday, October 16, 2015

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