Life's Daily Challenge Devotional

A place just for you

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also," John 14:2-3.

Beloved member of Christ,

It seems to me, that life, for most people, is a journey to discover "the place where they belong." There is a groaning... an emptiness inside each one us, longing to be filled. We can go from job to job, relationship to relationship, toy to newer, more expensive toy searching for a sense of belonging. Excitement comes in short bursts as we think that we have discovered the newest "thing." Boredom quickly follows. Rejection often comes. Things that we put our hopes and expectations in shatter, and we are left feeling alone, wounded, and vulnerable. We may vow to never trust or open our hearts to anything or anybody in this way again. We may begin to involve ourselves in things, and in relationships, to which we never fully give ourselves. We can become increasingly more incapable of adhering or committing to anything or anybody. Our attempts at self-protection only isolate us more and cause us to feel more empty and alone.

This vacuum inside each one of us was hand-crafted by God. It was lovingly designed in each one of us so that we could not go through life without knowing the need to be filled and to fit. Its purpose is to lead us into choosing Him as our life's partner, friend, and mate. He is the only one capable of filling this spot. Our striving to fill it with someone, or something else, is an exercise in futility.

This feeling of incompleteness is a loving invitation to intimacy with the living God. It cannot be filled by "one trip to the pump." It requires a constant connection. He will not give us a year's supply of Himself. He only satisfies us moment by moment, because He wants us to need Him, to know Him, to commune with Him, to draw our strength from Him. Every step that we take toward self-sufficiency is a step away from God.

It is possible for us to spend an entire lifetime restlessly jumping from one noisy thrill to another in an attempt to drown out the still, small cry within us. What a tragedy!

The place where we ultimately fit will never be a perfect external environment or set of circumstances. The place where we fit is "in Christ." This is a place where our fulfillment and contentment have nothing to do with circumstances. It is only after we have learned to live in this "place" that God can begin to lead us to the place where we fit physically. He has created people, places, and things to fit perfectly with His design for our lives. This physical place, however, will never be trouble or stress free. The Lord has painstakingly designed precautions to prevent us from becoming content with these blessings, in and of, themselves. He doesn't want us to ever be satisfied assigning anything or anybody to the place that only He can fill. He knows that abundant life comes from our connection with Him and He doesn’t want us to be robbed of life.