"Heaven: Our Future Headquarters"

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)



The other night, I was transferring a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer when my nine year-old son Matthew from whom this devotion was inspired) came to me and started up a very interesting conversation with me. It went something like this:


Matthew: “Dad…I hear about you talking a lot about headquarters. There’s the ‘Nazarene headquarters’, the ‘RLDS headquarters’, the ‘Assembly of God headquarters’, and so on. But I got a question…where is our headquarters?”


Me: “Well our headquarters is our house.”

Matthew: “No. Our headquarters is our rooms. The house only holds the headquarters.”

Me: “I think you’re right Matthew”. (Sometimes it’s just easier to agree with him.)

Matthew: “But our rooms won’t always be our headquarters…will they?”

Me: “Well no…” I was about to tell Matthew that eventually he would grow up and move out and find his own headquarters, but before I could, he interrupted me.

Matthew: “I know…when I die, I’ll go to Heaven and then that will be my headquarters!”

Me: “Oh oh…I smell a devotion coming on!”

Matthew (sniffing the air): “I don’t smell anything.”

Me (laughing): “I don’t mean I actually smell it. I mean this would make for an excellent devotion. I’ll call it…‘Heaven… dot dot …Our Future Headquarters’. Thanks Matthew!”

Matthew just smiled.

The next day I decided to look up the word “Headquarters” in the dictionary to see what it actually means. Webster’s dictionary* describes it as: “a place from which a commander performs the functions of command”. In my opinion, If we call ourselves Christians, then we should be taking orders from the ultimate commander: God himself! And our Senior commander should be His Son: Jesus Christ!


So…Have you made Jesus the Lord of your life; your “Senior Commander” ? Then you have a headquarters. A future headquarters! A place to meet and greet and stay…for all eternity…when your time at this headquarters (earth) is done!

*Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition

"Because Jesus Said So!"

“I know that you always hear me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called (said) in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ ” -John 11:42-43 (NIV)


I can remember as a kid several authority figures in my life asking, or rather telling me to do certain things. Things like: “Clean your room”, “Take out the trash”, “Sit down and be quiet.” (I heard that one a lot) etc. I might not always feel like it. It might be I was watching a show on television, or playing with a friend, or whatever. Often I would answer the request with a question: “Why?” The person would usually answer me with four little, but powerful words: “Because I said so!” As soon as I heard those words, I would immediately start doing what the person told me to do. You see, those four little words: “Because I said so” carry a lot of power depending on who the person is who is saying them. That person may be your mom or dad, your teacher, your boss, a police officer, etc. It’s a person you don’t say “No” to…not if you know what’s good for you.

Jesus is a person you don’t say “No” to…not if you know what’s good for you. When Jesus came to earth in human form, miraculous things happened. And they always happened because Jesus said for them to happen! Let me ask you a few questions:

Why, when Jesus’ disciples were on the boat and afraid they were going to die, did the waves and the storm suddenly decide to be still? (Matthew 8:27) Because Jesus said so!

Why did the dead girl suddenly decide to wake up? (Mark 5:41) Because Jesus said so!

Why did Lazarus, after being dead and in the tomb for four days, suddenly decide to come walking out? (John 11:43) Because Jesus said so! The list goes on and on.

Why can we be saved, and forgiven of our sins, and go to Heaven just by asking Jesus to come into our heart, forgive us for what we have done, and be our Lord and Savior? (John 10:7-11) Because Jesus said so!



*Devotion inspired by the song: “Cause Jesus Said So”
Michael Combs
Copyright 2006 Lamb Lover Music

"Safe In His Arms"

“I can lie down and sleep soundly, because you LORD, will keep me safe.”
-Psalm 4:8 (CEV)



A few nights ago, my wife Valerie (from whom this devotion was inspired) and I were lying in bed. There was a storm outside and the winds were tremendous! The room periodically was lit up as bright as day, due to all the lightning bolts occurring
right outside our window. We were both scared. Valerie asked me to hold her. I was actually kind of glad she did. You know I’m scared when I want to cuddle. I’m usually the “you stay on your side and I’ll stay on mine” kind of guy. So there we lay, cuddling together. Somehow we were finally able to drift off to sleep. I woke up with the house really quiet; sounding nothing like it sounded the night before.


A couple of days later, Valerie and I were talking about the storm, and what we both were feeling and thinking at the time. I told her that I was feeling scared and thinking to myself: “Is this what the disciples (of Jesus) were experiencing the night they were on a boat and afraid they were all going to die?” Valerie told me what she was feeling and thinking and it seems to be on a deeper and more positive level. She said that, as she was lying there, with me holding her, she was thinking to herself: “Wow…I actually feel safe, and I’m not scared anymore! If I feel this safe when my husband is holding me…how much more safe would I feel if the Lord was holding me? How much more safe would I feel, if on a regular basis, I would ask the Lord to hold me?”


“Wow!” I thought to myself. “I never thought of that. How many times have I gone through something absolutely terrifying, all alone, because I never asked the Lord ‘to hold me’?” How many have you? The next time I’m experiencing something that is so scary or difficult, that I don’t think I can handle it (on my own that is), I’m going to ask the Lord to be with me; to “hold me”, and see me through.



If we would do that, on a regular basis, maybe even before the storm comes, I think we would be able to say as the writer of Psalm 4 says: “I can lie down and sleepsoundly, because You, Lord, will keep me safe.”