Bible Reading: John 15:1-4
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. John 15:4
HERE WE GO again, Jared thought with disgust. He had become way too skilled at packing up his room for a move. His family had never stayed in one place for more than three years, and this time they hadn’t even come close to that record. Jared had hoped this time they would stay put. But then he heard the words he dreaded: “I’ve been transferred again.”
“You’ll love Madera!” his mom had said. Madera! This suburb of Fresno in the steamy central valley of California didn’t sound exciting in the least. Jared had heard summers were so hot you could actually fry an egg on the sidewalk! But realizing he had no choice, he continued to pack his room.
Moving once or twice in a lifetime is hard enough. It’s even harder when your moves uproot you every two or three years. Even though Jared struggled year after year with painful relocations, he learned a crucial lesson. Here’s an excerpt from his journal, written shortly after arriving in Madera.
Here I am again, Lord-a new place, surrounded by strange things and unknown people. I miss my friends and my life back home. I wonder if this new place will ever be my home. I wonder if I will ever be able to really settle in here.
At least I have you, Lord. At least I know that wherever I go, you are still with me. You have made your home in me. You have settled in, and you’re not going to be transferred and leave me alone. And I have made my home in you. Wherever I go, we will be together. Thank you, Jesus, for that promise.
Jared had discovered an amazing truth you need to know too. When Christ was raised from the dead, he returned to his home in heaven to be with his Father. But the Spirit of the living Christ now makes his home in you, and he wants you to make your home in him. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus invites us: “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.”
You might move from place to place. Your friendships might change from year to year. All sorts of upheavals might make your life tomorrow look radically different from your life today. But one fact is sure: Jesus will never leave you. He is totally at home in you, and he invites you to be at home in him.
REFLECT: What difference does it make to you that Jesus will never leave you, no matter what changes today brings?
PRAY: Take some time today to thank the living Christ for being your dearest and most abiding friend.
