Preparing a Place for Us 为我们预备地方

[Dexu Xia]

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.  John 14:3

Our family was planning to get a puppy, so my eleven-year-old daughter researched for months. She knew what the dog should eat and how to introduce it to our new home—among myriad other details.    

Turns out puppies do best, she told me, if they’re introduced to one room at a time. So we carefully prepared a spare bedroom. I’m sure there will still be surprises as we raise our new puppy, but my daughter’s delight-infused preparation couldn’t have been more thorough.

The way my daughter channeled her eager anticipation for a puppy into loving preparation reminded me of Christ’s longing to share life with His people and His promise to prepare a home for them. Nearing the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus urged His disciples to trust Him, saying, “You believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). Then He promised to “prepare a place for [them] . . . that [they] also may be where [He is]” (v. 3).

The disciples would soon face trouble. But Jesus wanted them to know that He was at work to bring them home to Him.

I can’t help but delight in the careful, deliberate intent with which my daughter had prepared for our new puppy. But I can only imagine how much more our Savior is delighting in His own detailed preparation for each of His people to share eternal life with Him (v. 2).

How do you feel knowing that Jesus is preparing a place for you in His Father’s house? How might hanging on to that hope give you strength or courage in difficult seasons?

Jesus, thank You for going to prepare a place for me. Help me to put my hope in You fully and not to be troubled by the struggles in this life that might tempt me to take my eyes off You.

 我若去为你们预备了地方，就必再来接你们到我那里去；我在哪里，叫你们也在那里。—约翰福音14章3节

我们家打算要养一只幼犬，我11岁的女儿于是为此研究了好几个月。她清楚知道小狗该吃些什么，以及如何让它顺利适应新家。除此之外，还有其他数不清的细节。

女儿说，要让小狗适应新环境，最有效的方法是带它逐一认识屋里的房间，于是我们细心地为小狗准备一个备用的房间。我相信在照顾小狗的过程中，仍会有意想不到的状况发生，但女儿以喜悦的心情所做的准备，已是再充分不过了。

我女儿将她对小狗的殷切期盼转化为悉心的准备，让我想起基督渴望与祂的子民同享永恒生命，以及承诺为他们预备一个新家。耶稣在离世前，敦促门徒要信任祂，并且说：“你们信上帝，也当信我”（约翰福音14章1节）。接着，祂承诺要为门徒预备地方，“我在哪里，叫你们也在那里”（3节）。门徒很快就会遭受患难，但耶稣要他们知道，祂会为他们预备好地方，将来接他们回天家。

我对女儿为迎接小狗所做的精心预备感到高兴，但是我想，我们的救主是带着更加喜悦的心情，精心为祂每个子民预备地方，好让他们能与祂同享永恒的生命（2节）。

知道耶稣在天父家里为你预备地方，
你有什么感受？当你身陷困境时，
持守这份盼望如何给你力量与勇气？

耶稣，谢谢祢为我预备地方。
求祢帮助我能全然信靠祢，
即使生活中有种种难处，也能定睛仰望祢。