“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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 14:2-6

WHERE AM I?

By Glen D. Owens

From the Chapel Glen Church of Christ Bulletin

Most of us sometime in our life has been on a trip and suddenly realize that we have made a wrong turn and are no longer on our intended route. We notice that nothing is familiar and ask; ‘where am I’? In our study of the bible we may come upon situations where a person is unsure of where they are. By using some imagination let us consider some people who might have asked; ‘where am I’?

The Garden of Eden was very familiar to Adam and Eve but when God drove them from the Garden, they were probably in unfamiliar surroundings. Imagine how they may have regarded the place where they were going to call home. They were faced with many new decisions because of their new environment. How would we respond to suddenly being moved to an entirely new place to live?

When Cain was banished to the land of Nod, he was in unfamiliar territory. Would he have asked; ‘where am I’? And what about the people who were building the Tower of Babel? When their languages were confused and they separated into different parts of the world, they must have wondered where they were.

Noah was comfortably at home where he built the ark. Because of the impending flood, God directed him to build the ark and before it began to rain He told him to enter the ark and take his family and animals with him. After floating around for over a year the ark finally came to rest in the mountains of Ararat. Can you imagine how Noah and his family looked out of the ark and asked; ‘where are we’?

Consider the young man Joseph when he visited his brothers in the field where they were watching their sheep. They first put him in a pit then sold him to the Midianites who then sold him to Potiphar in Egypt. All during this time, Joseph probably asked; ‘where am I’?

Jonah is another person who may have wondered where he was. When God told him to go to Nineveh he got on a boat and went the other direction. When the severe storm threatened to sink the ship, he told the sailors to throw him overboard. Do you imagine that Jonah said; ‘where am I’? when the fish God had prepared swallowed him. Then he came to his senses when the fish vomited him on dry land.

Samson was a one-man army against the Philistines and succeeded in killing hundreds of soldiers in addition to destroying acres of wheat. Eventually, after many attempts to capture him, the Philistines were successful and gouged out his eyes. Being blind he had to wonder where he was but had presence of mind to ask a young boy to take him to where the great feast was and put him between the pillars which he pulled down and killed all who were at the feast.

The Apostle John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. This was a place he had never been before but he was content to be there while he received the visions from God. However, he must have asked, ‘where am I’?

On a little different part of our subject, ask yourself the question as it relates to your Christian journey toward heaven. Do I know if I am on the right road to heaven? Am I following the way that Jesus has prepared for me? Am I relying on the road map He has left in the bible or am I following the way that man has proposed for me to follow?

An interesting note on the subject is that the early followers of Jesus were referred to as those in the Way. (Acts 9:2) We need to remind ourselves that Jesus said; ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’. (John 14:6)