It’s easy for Christians to fall into a rut: Church is a thing you do, prayer is a box to check, and faith seems far from “the real world.” This fall we let Jesus himself confront our ruts. “Do you believe this?” he asks (Jn. 11:26).
To believe in Jesus is to experience him. It’s more than logic, argument, and doctrine. It is intimate knowledge of God himself. This fall, let Jesus himself speak to you in his seven “I AM” statements in the gospel of John. How is he changing you? What response is he inspiring in you? To believe in him changes everything.
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ponder
Today we ponder the I AM statement: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Why are darkness and night associated with sin and evil? What darkness are you experiencing in your life today?
Word
John 14:1-3
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Meditation: Troubled Hearts by Jo Saleska Lange
Sometimes, I approach scripture like I might approach a textbook: With a pen or highlighter in hand, I analyze the language within its context; I use logic and reason to apply it to my life in some way. Other times, scripture speaks to me. The words cut directly to my heart, and I know they are from the Holy Spirit.
The latter is how I feel right now as I meditate on the scripture for this week.
To put it plainly, I am exhausted. This past week, I’ve been taking care of a sick toddler, a sleep-regressing infant, and an elderly Yorkshire Terrier while my husband is out of town for work. Then, last night, just as things were starting to look better, I was hit with a bout of insomnia triggered by an anxiety attack.
I tried everything to quiet my anxiety and get to sleep. I cranked the AC to make the room cold, turned on my fan and noise machine, put on an eye cover. I tried listening to a podcast, squeezing and releasing every muscle in my body. I tried changing locations, reading a dull book of essays, chugging a glass of milk. Yet, still—inexplicable adrenaline pulsed inside my chest, and I could not settle myself. I prayed to God: Please help my heart find rest.
At some point, I figured I could at least try to be productive and get started on my Daily Pattern meditation for the week. So, I opened John 14 and was struck by Jesus’s words:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
When Jesus spoke this to his disciples, they were also anxious. Jesus had just told them that he would soon leave them, and they did not understand. Where are you going, Lord? They asked. How will we find you?
Christ’s words are reassuring. He is going to prepare a room in the house of the Lord for all those who follow him—a place of eternal peace and rest with him. When the disciples ask how they will get there, Jesus reminds them that he is the way, the truth, and the life. Christ is both the destination and the way to the destination.
Reading these verses didn’t make my insomnia magically go away, but, in the midst of my struggle, they do bring me an overwhelming sense of comfort. No matter what my anxieties are today, I get to rest in the knowledge of tomorrow: Christ Jesus, our way, truth, and life will come again to take us home to be with him.
Dear Jesus, thank you for the gift of scripture as your living word—a reminder of your identity as our way, our truth, and our life. Help us not to get so caught up in the struggles of today that we forget your eternal promises. Amen.
Prayer
Jesus, you said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Chase away the sins in my life that like to hide in the shadows. Dispel confusion and ignorance. Shine into the dark corners of my world today. Amen.
Benediction
May the blessing of the eternal God be upon us and upon our work;
His light to guide us,
His presence to strengthen us,
His love to unite us;
Now and always. Amen.