(Jesus said) "In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:2-6

Today's devotion was written by Michael Burger who owns a screen printing and sign company in Davenport, Nebraska. A number of years ago I had the opportunity to be the guest at his home. He is a layman at St. Peter Lutheran in Davenport where he has been the high school Bible class teacher for 18 years. God has blessed him with a wonderful wife and children.

Jason Hubbard had been staying with the Adamcewicz family at their home in Spotswood, New Jersey.

Hubbard had been there five days. Now for a welcome guest, a five-day stay at someone's house can be on the verge of overstaying your welcome. But that's the point: Hubbard wasn't welcome. In fact, the Adamcewicz family didn't even know he was there.

True, Hubbard had dated the family's daughter, but that was five years earlier, and their relationship hadn't ended well, which makes what Hubbard did more than a little bit weird.

Without having had any contact with the Adamcewiczs for over five years, Hubbard came to their house and waited outside. When someone took out the garbage, he snuck into the house unseen. He made his way to the guest bedroom, plugged in, and began charging his four cell phones, unpacked his bottled water, and hid under the bed.

Eventually, Mr. Adamcewicz heard a noise coming from the guestroom, and his investigation revealed Hubbard under the bed. He was arrested, charged with criminal trespass and theft of services (the electricity for his cell phones).

Now here's the point: no matter Hubbard's reasons for being in that house, he hadn't been invited.

The night that Jesus was betrayed, He met with His disciples in the upper room. They had been together for three years, and now He had told them He was going away, and they couldn't come -- at least not yet. The disciples were overwhelmed with sorrow, and Jesus comforted them with the words of our Bible verse for the day.

Unlike Hubbard who snuck into the house, Jesus has invited us to His Father's house.

Because of Jesus' life, suffering, death and resurrection, He has promised that people of faith will have a room waiting for them when they die. They won't have to sneak in or hide. In fact, John 1:12 tells us that everyone who is given faith in Jesus and believes in Christ's Name has become a child of God. When the Holy Spirit makes us part of God's family of faith, we are given an inheritance (see 1 Peter 1:4); a name (see John 1:12); and an eternal home in heaven (see 2 Corinthians 5:1).

THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You that You loved us enough to send Your Son Jesus to be our Savior, that through Him You have adopted us into Your family and prepared a place for us with You. Please help us show that good news to those we meet. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 1 Chronicles 26-27    1 Corinthians 15:1-28

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