Thursday-a day of comfort?

      During Holy Week, many things took place on this day in the life of Jesus and his disciples.  Jesus washed their feet before dinner, the Last Supper, prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, betrayal by Judas, denial by Peter, the beating of Christ and many trials throughout the night.  What stood out to me as I looked at the scriptures of the above events was the amount of comfort that Jesus conveyed to his disciples.  After dinner in the Upper Room, Jesus spent time comforting the disciples about things to come.  Some of the most precious verses in scripture come from this talk Jesus had with them and eventually us as we read His words.  Jesus gave comfort and then went to the garden to pray for strength and comfort from his heavenly Father.  He needed to be comforted and strengthen to face the trials ahead.  He knew what lay ahead and sought renewal from His Father.  The portion of scripture I have chosen for today comes from the gospel of John and is well known for its comfort, especially as we lose loved ones in death.  I pray it will bring you comfort today.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  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.  You know the way to the place where I am going.”   Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really know me, you would know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know him and have seem him.”  John 14: 1-7

What comfort do I receive from Jesus’ words?  Jesus does not want me to worry about my future.   Jesus wants me to trust Him and believe His Word.  Jesus is preparing heaven for my arrival. Heaven is a real place.  Jesus will return.  I will be with Jesus in heaven.  I can and do know the way to heaven.  The way to heaven is through faith in Jesus.  Knowing Jesus = knowing God Himself.  Seeing and experiencing Jesus in my life= seeing and experiencing God.

May the comfort of Jesus’ words bring you peace and hope today.

Linda