April 30: No more distress!

This now completes one year of the favorite 365 passages of my father, Forrest Presnell Higginbotham. He is 84 years old, walks two miles a day, has pretty much as much hair on his head as I do, and has an undiminished, fiery faith in and love for God. He still has a desire to save souls, and visits men in prison as much as he can in an attempt to lead them to Jesus. This year of going through Dad's book, leaving some devotionals as they were, and changing others, has taught me a great deal and has strengthened my faith, and hopefully yours too.

Beginning tomorrow, I will begin one more year of daily devotionals, but will concentrate on the Promises of the Bible. Dad will still be a part of this because as far back as I can remember, he always taught us about them. In fact, I will ask him to include 100 of his favorite promises, and will identify them as his. I look forward to one more year with all of you!

Thanks Dad, for the amazing faith that you passed down to me. It's the best inheritance anyone could have.

“Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.  (John 14:1-3  NET)

The future of all true followers of the Lord Jesus is to be with Him forever in His Father's house. At that time, when He comes back to the earth for His people, God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no crying, and no more pain. We will live with Him, will be His people, and He will be our God. The Bible states this plainly in Revelation 21:3,4. In today’s passage, Jesus encourages His disciples, because in a short time they would see Him nailed to a cross. He told them to believe in God and to believe in Him, and told them not to allow their hearts to be distressed. They would need to use their faith to overcome fear, when they saw Jesus, and all He did and stood for, apparently defeated.

Even though the disciples were going to see Jesus again after His resurrection, over the next forty days He was not going to be with them 24/7 as He had been before. At the end of those forty days of appearances and teaching, He would ascend back into heaven and sit on the right hand of the Father. One reason He gives for going away is that He will prepare a place for the disciples, and of course, all His people. 

It is impossible for our minds to conceive of the wonders and glory of that place, where we will live in the actual presence of Jesus our Savior and God our Father. That is our confidence and firm hope—eternal life with God! Hold on firmly to this hope, mind and heart. Whatever temptation the world throws at you, whatever trouble you face, this hope will spur you on to faithfulness and victory. Nothing that the world has is of any value when compared to eternal life in heaven.