God’s Roommate

12/22/2015

John 14.23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” – St. John

One of my favorite “Christmas” tunes is, There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays – especially the rendition by the Carpenters. You can have Frosty, and Rudolf, and even The Drummer Boy. There’s no place like home.

Home, in my mind is a place where you’re welcome, appreciated, and loved. That’s the way I grew up. Home was a place for friends and visitors and for safety and peace. In my mind, I can see the home on Forney Loop at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia in 1963. Snow, a big tree and lots and lots of presents. (Six kids, what would you expect?) I remember traveling to my aunt and uncle’s home for the holidays. Same story, but with four fewer kids…

Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…”, the Lord’s word will be his rule and guide. Keeping His word is a guarantee that he will also experience the love of the father. And the cherry on top: “…We will come to him and make Our home with him.” Wow! What an offer! Jesus and the Father will be Roomies!

I don’t know if we dwell on that like we ought: Lord, here is my day, I invite You in and ask that You walk with me through it, that I may learn from You, be guided by You, and make contact with the people You have destined for me to meet today. May my words be Your words, and may Your love for me radiate upon them.

Living [with] Jesus a life that is true. Striving to please Him in all that I do! Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free. This is the pathway of blessing for me!* Living with Jesus. Is He welcome in my home and in my heart? Is He freely guiding me or is it a struggle? If I am who I am, and He is who He is, then is He my welcome Roommate or do I need some reassessment of my love for Him and His words in me?

Today, as I read through a passage in John’s wonderful gospel I thought I might comment on what foot-washing is really all about. Or I thought I my comment on what happens to a seed and why. I thought I might deal with a variety of other familiar things but my heart landed here: God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ abiding, living, with me.

Today, I needed to reconsider the living arrangement, and how it works to be God’s roommate. I needed to remember where He has chosen to live. Jesus is, by His Spirit, right here in the trenches with me this day. The things that affect me are things that concern Him and He asks that I allow Him to be part of all of it: the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly. There’s no place like home where the Lord lives. He’s chosen to live with, and in, me.

Lord, my prayer is above. I invite You this day to help me and guide me in all I do that my life may mesh with Yours and that Your glory would shine. My heart is Your home. Amen

*Thomas O. Chisholm, 1917