Ira Forest Stanphil was born in 1914 in Bellvue, NM. By the time WWI started, his family had moved to Kansas. Stanphil’s family were members of the Assemblies of God denomination and Ira’s interest in music was stimulated by a blind pianist who played in their church’s revivals.
He published his first song in 1935 and went on to write 600 songs, 500 of which have been published. In August of 1948, Stanphil’s wife filed for divorce, after nine years of marriage. It was during this period of time that Stanphil wrote the song, “Mansion Over the Hilltop.”
A businessman was facing bankruptcy. He went to the top of a tall hill to pray about his situation. As he neared the top, he could see the houses down below were all small, run-down shacks. He walked over to one house that was depressing. But the yard was not uninhabited. In the front yard was a little girl about five years old playing with a doll that had no arms but the little girl was happy and content.
The businessman finally asked the little girl how she could be so happy with all the depressing things around her. The little girl looked up at him and said, “Well, you haven’t heard the good news, have you? My father recently came into an inheritance of a whole lot of money. He’s just over that hilltop, and he’s building us a brand new mansion.” That story inspired Stanphil’s much-loved song.
“Mansion Over the Hilltop” has been sung by hundreds of people down through the years, encouraged us, and inspired us to live that we might live in that mansion over the hilltop.
Meditate on its thoughts…
OUR “COTTAGE” BELOW:
It does not matter what we have here on earth, ultimately. We sometimes think it does. We all have our comfort zones. But material things are just that – material. God can give and God can take away. And God can give more, much more. So the Scriptures teach us to be content with what we have (Phil. 4:12-13).
The reasons Christians ought to be so easily content with a little cottage here below is because there is waiting…
THE MANSION OVER THE HILLTOP:
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Jesus shed His blood for us so that we might live with Him forever. Observe that word “forever.” “We’ll never grow old” when we enter that celestial city. “Whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).
Now, in the meanwhile…
IN THE MEANWHILE:
“I’m not poor, deserted, or lonely.” God desires to bestow His riches on all who call upon Him through Jesus Christ (Romans 10:12). Jesus came to earth and accepted the poverty of humanity in order to make us rich – 2 Cor. 8:9. All we have to do is hold out, remain faithful and eventually we’ll get that mansion.
“I’m not discouraged; I’m bound for heaven.” Abraham looked for that city whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:10). Abraham wanted to dwell with God just like you and I do. So, let’s not get discouraged with the way life goes sometimes. It’s all under the loving, wise guiding hand of God. We are all bound for heaven.
“I’m just a pilgrim, in search of a city.” The patriarchs recognized that they were strangers and aliens on earth (Heb. 11:13). We are too. Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20) so we are only pilgrims on this earth – 1 Peter 2:11.
“The mansion, the robe, the crown.” The robe is our garments we put on when we are baptized into Christ – in other words, our robe is Christ – Galatians 3:27. Our robes are made white through the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 22:14). Of course the crown is the crown of life (James 1:12), the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) we receive if we are in Christ Jesus. This is an “unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4).
It will be ours if we will humbly follow and serve Jesus Christ. His mansion will be ours.
–Paul Holland
