But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Believers grieve differently. We grieve, but not without hope. Jesus was described by the prophet Isaiah as one ‘acquainted with grief’. Paul writes to tell us that those who die (fallen asleep is his metaphor), are with Jesus Christ in eternity. Our hope is founded on the the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. So, we also will. To be absent from this body, is to be present with the Lord.
Am I feeling the depths of grief when I experience loss? How is the great hope of heaven an anchor for my soul?
God, I thank you that we will enjoy a great reunion with all the believers who have gone on before us. Help me reach out to those You are drawing toward Yourself.
