For today’s blog posting, I invite you to take an imaginary trip with me. If you read all the way through, however, you will find that it is not all imagination.
It is part of my series on why you do not need to fear death.
Think of living in your dream house. You may already live there or hope to live there one day.
You get such joy out of being there that the thought of ever having to leave it makes you very sad.
The house is getting old. Parts of it seem beyond repair. You hate the thought, but you fear the day will come when the house will be condemned and you will be evicted.
You are not sure what you will do then. You doubt you will ever have a house like this one again.
But one day, when you think all is lost, there is a knocking sound coming from one of the rooms you had closed off.
You open the door. To your shock, there is a man standing there. He looks familiar, but you are not sure who He is.
You are about to demand He get out of your house before you call the police. But then He says your name.
Something about the way He says your name feels warm and reassuring.
You are puzzled. Who is He?
He seems very comfortable in your house. Before you can question Him, He asks, “Do you have anything to eat?”
Could a simple beggar be so bold? Is He more than a beggar? A robber, a rapist, a murderer, a crazy person?
You ask Him Who He is. He simply says your name again, smiles and says, “I know you and you know Me. Don’t worry. It will come to you.”
In spite of your usual caution, you bring out what you have in the kitchen. He offers to cook. You let Him.
You have the best meal you have ever had. It is like a banquet for two.
You sit and talk forever. He seems to know you, including some of the things you thought no one knew.
You don’t really like anyone knowing you this well. Is blackmail His game? Is that why He is here?
But no, that is not it. You catch a reflection of yourself in His Eyes, and are surprised to see Love, not condemnation.
You don’t understand how you can feel safe with someone who knows you so well. Just when you get ready to ask Him how He knows, He introduces something new.
He asks you to show Him around your house. You do. It’s strange. Even before you go into each room, He seems to know what is in it.
He touches the peeling paint on the walls. It not only stops peeling, but somehow the color becomes more vivid than it was when your house was first built.
By now, you know He is no ordinary human. You are not frightened. In fact, you feel more peaceful than you can remember.
You feel bold enough to ask, “How do you know so much about my house?”
He smiles. “My Father built it. And We live here with you.”
Before you can even process what’s happening, He adds, “My Father’s House has many rooms. There are quite a few you have not even seen yet.”
You quickly reply, “Well, I know all the rooms in this house.”
He reaches past you and knocks on the wall. “Do you know this one?”
“That’s not a room. That’s a wall.”
He smiles. “Not anymore.”
And in an instant, the wall disappears. You follow Him into a much larger room, resplendent with light.
All you have loved and believed you have lost are there. They have been there all along waiting for the day you would walk through that door.
You see, you have always been at home.
Your earthly body was put together to be a dwelling place of The Holy Spirit. Your body is God’s House.
“Don’t you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, Whom you received from God, lives in you.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
God built His House for you to live with Him. He carefully designed every part. God does not do “cookie cutter houses.” He assured no other house would be exactly the same as yours.
“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your Works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Psalm 139:13-14
Your house did not stay the same. God constantly remodeled it. He took away parts you did not need as you outgrew them. He added what you needed for the next stage of life as you grew.
Your house got larger and larger. All the while God was preparing the additional rooms He would reveal to you one day.
You were created living in The House of The Lord. You live there now with Him. You do not have to invite Him in from the outside. He has always been on the inside with you, even when you did not recognize Him.
He wants you to know He is there. He knocks on doors obscured to you by the clutter in your life. He wants to show you that your house is bigger than you know.
And one day, as in this story, Jesus will come to you and reveal a new door to a large family room. He will Himself personally escort you there.
“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
You are not getting kicked out of your old house. You are getting a fresh remodel with additions.
David said it well.
“Surely Your Goodness and Love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in The House of The Lord forever.”
Psalm 23:6
Rejoice! You live in The House of The Lord with The Lord now and so shall you forever!
