Mansion Over The Hilltop

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/26sdlx

Where do you live? I would imagine that everyone today lives in a comfortable house or apartment. Maybe you have several extra rooms in your house. Or maybe you have just enough room. But either way, most people in our area have a safe place to call home.

Now let me ask you another question. Where will you live when you die? Thousands of dollars will be spent for your funeral. Some will choose elaborate caskets and expensive headstones. Others will be more basic and simple. But that isn’t where you will live when you die. That’s just the resting place for your body.

When we die, if we have been obedient to the Lord’s will, we are promised a mansion in heaven. More accurately, Jesus promises us a dwelling place, an abode, a place for us to call home.

In John 14:1-4 Jesus said the following.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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. And where I go you know, and the way you know.

What a wonderful thought to consider. Jesus is going to prepare a place for us.

A great song we sing is “Mansion Over The Hilltop,” by Ira Stamphill. His inspiration for this story came from a preacher in Dallas, TX, by the name of Gene Martin. Here is his story.

A man of considerable means, facing imminent bankruptcy, took a driving trip through a rural part of the country. Here, one particular house caught his attention. It was badly in need of paint and repairs of every kind. Most of the windows had oil paper to replace the broken glass. Parts of the roof and shingles were missing. He wondered how the house was still standing. Out front, playing in the yard, was a young girl about 8 or 9, who was poorly dressed. The traveler felt an urge to stop and talk. During the conversation, he mentioned how sorry he was that the young lady had to live in such poor surroundings. The young girl replied, “Why, haven’t you heard? My daddy just inherited a fortune and he’s building us a mansion just over that hill over there. Don’t know when it will be done, but I won’t have to live in this house forever.”

Here is the first verse and chorus of that song.

I’m satisfied with just a cottage below,

A little silver and a little gold;

But in that city where the ransomed will shine,

I want a gold one that’s silver lined.

I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop,

In that bright land where we’ll never grow old;

And some day yonder we will never more wander

But walk the streets that are purest gold.

Most of us will never live in a mansion on earth, but we are promised a wonderful home in heaven if we remain obedient to God’s will. Won’t it be wonderful there?

On Our Daily Walk today, may we take a few minutes to look around our houses. They are constantly in need of repair and attention and one day will all be torn down. Now, let’s close our eyes and imagine being with our loved ones in our eternal home in heaven. Thank you God for sending your Son for us!

Our thought for the day: “Lord, while you are busy preparing a place for me, prepare me, as well, for that place.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.