Farewell For Now
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those
who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:13
Sometimes the pain of separation from those we love and care about can be difficult. When the apostle Paul said farewell to the elders from Ephesus, “They all wept as they embraced him . . . . What grieved them most was (Paul’s) statement that they would "not see his face again” (Acts 20:37).
The deepest sorrow, however, comes when we are parted by death and say goodbye for the last time in this life. That separation seems unthinkable. We mourn, we weep, and we lament. How can we face the heartbreak of never again embracing the ones we have loved?
Still . . . we do not grieve like those who have no hope. Paul writes of a future reunion for those who “believe that Jesus died and rose again” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). He declares: “The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel,” and those who have died, along with those who are still alive, will be united with our Lord. What a reunion that will be!
And—best of all—we will be forever with the Lord Jesus, and never to be parted. That is an eternal hope.
Bible Reading
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for the assurance that this world is not all we have but that a blessed eternity awaits all who trust in You. In Christ's name. Amen.
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