“We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope”  1 Thessalonians 4:13 (JB)

The Thessalonian church had buried her share of loved ones. And the apostle wanted the members who remained to be at peace regarding the ones who had gone ahead. Many of you have buried loved ones as well. And just as God spoke to them, he speaks to you.

If you’ll celebrate a marriage anniversary alone this year, he speaks to you.

If your child made it to heaven before making it to kindergarten, he speaks to you.

If you lost a loved one in violence, if you learned more than you want to know about disease, if your dreams were buried as they lowered the casket, God speaks to you.

He speaks to all of us who have stood or will stand in the soft dirt near an open grave. And to us he gives this confident word: “I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died”  (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 TLB).

God transforms our hopeless grief into hope-filled grief. How? By telling us that we will see our loved ones again.

Isn’t that what we want to believe? We long to know that our loved ones are safe in death. We long for the reassurance that the soul goes immediately to be with God. But dare we believe it? Can we believe it? According to the Bible, we can.

Scripture is surprisingly quiet about this phase of our lives. When speaking about the period between the death of the body and the resurrection of the body, the Bible doesn’t shout; it just whispers. But at the confluence of these whispers, a firm voice is heard. This authoritative voice assures us that at death the Christian immediately enters into the presence of God and enjoys conscious fellowship with the Father and with those who have gone before.

Where do I get such ideas? Listen to some of the whispers:

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” (Philippians 1:21-23 NIV)

We don’t like to say good-bye to those we love. But if what the Bible says about heaven is true, and I believe it is, then the ultimate prayer, the ultimate answered prayer, is heaven.

It is right for us to weep, but there is no need for us to despair. They had pain here. They have no pain there. They struggled here. They have no struggles there. You and I might wonder why God took them home. But they don’t. They understand. They are, at this very moment, at peace in the presence of God.

by Max Lucado
used by permission

From: For These Tough Times:  Reaching Toward Heaven for Hope and Healing
(Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006)

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about-max/

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“Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give.  Hebrews 4:15 (The Message)

“He takes the reality of nightmares and makes them only memories.”  That statement (author/source unknown) echoed in my head as I listened to Linda share the story of her experience and loss. Just short of celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, her husband died in a mountain climbing accident. The event rocked Linda’s world and, for a brief time, even her faith. How could a loving God allow a much-loved father and husband, a man with faith visible in the business community die in the prime of his life?

In a strange, yet familiar, way, Linda chose to hold on to her broken heart even though submitting to His will. She refused to let go of her grief, telling God it was the one thing she had left. It was hers.

Finally, in the stillness of a retreat afternoon, she sobbed her grief and handed her broken heart to the only One whose heart broke in a similar way. Her Heavenly Father knew what it was like to lose a part of Himself. He knew what it was like to stand aside, apparently powerless, while evil seemed to reign. He alone could begin the mending process,  but only with Linda’s permission.

Linda’s heart has been scarred by the very real nightmare of sudden death, but her memories have been cradled in the loving arms of her Father, and healing continues to take place. She has entered into areas of service, both in her own country and around the world, that she never imagined. Her walk with God has taken on intimacy she never thought possible. Nightmares have been changed into blessed memories.

Precious Father, how often I hang on to my sadness or disappointment or grief instead of handing everything over to you. Teach me to give you everything more quickly.

What have you been holding on to? Why? What do you need to learn about God that will help you relinquish everything to Him?

By Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

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“The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.” John 14:10 (NLT)

When I heard this morning of the death of a female singer popular in the 1960’s, I could hear her singing as clearly as I did over 40 years ago. Without turning on the radio or inserting a disc, that distinctive voice rang in my ears.

Jesus challenged His listeners with these words, “You have heard it said, but I say to you.” In remembering a conversation they had with the risen Jesus, two of His followers said, “Were our hearts not burning within us while He talked with us on the road?” Another friend wrote, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard.”

Words have a strange and wonderful power. As we submit daily to the leadership of Jesus Christ, as we continue in the practice of silence and solitude to more clearly hear God’s words and thus have our own words transformed, I believe the message that we speak and the life we live will take on new radiance.

I wonder what will be said of me when I die? Although I am definitely not a singer, I wonder if what I have said, the directions I have given, and, more importantly, the message of the life I have lived, will still be heard clearly. Will it be said of me, “When I heard of her death, I could still hear her voice.”

Father, thank you for the freedom we can experience as we daily walk in the light of Your Word and Your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your gentle nudging when my words have been my own and not yours. May my words and my life have eternal influence.

by Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

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“Put your affairs in order.” Words gripping the souls of husband and wife as the doctor pronounced that, although further palliative measures could be taken, this was a terminal illness. Disease was not a stranger to the couple as both had survived cancer and he had fought through several heart attacks, but those five words had a finality not experienced before. On a new level, they agreed with the words of Dr. Jill Ker Conway describing the inevitability that her generation-older husband would likely die before she did: “We all live on the brink of mortality,”

Put your affairs in order. Words that jolt us out of the false sense of security we possess—likely brought about by an equally false sense of control. Surely our dedication to exercise and healthy diet, our reliance on the best medical advice possible, our Invictus attitude (“I am the master of my fate, the captain of my soul”), even our belief that God can miraculously intervene, all these somehow mask the reality that death comes to all.

But for followers of Jesus, it is not only possible but necessary to spend a lifetime putting our affairs in order. We consistently choose to believe that God is good and loving, just and merciful. We choose to base both small and large decisions on patterns observed in Jesus’ life. We make a practice of confession, repentance and holy living. We dig deep into the Bible to see God’s faithfulness through the ages as revealed in the lives of men and women just like ourselves. In the midst of recognizing the painful reality of death, we choose to believe that eternal life isn’t an existence that begins at the point of death, but—as Jesus affirmed—eternal life is knowing (understanding, acknowledging, experiencing). (John 17:3) “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Eternal life is one continuous experience of putting our affairs in order!

By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1

On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”  With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that was devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months.

Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon, as has the book he wrote based on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all strive to make realities. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer a few weeks ago, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all, for generations to come.

As I read his book, I found it inspiring and causing me to think about what I would say under a similar assignment. Throughout history people have tried to determine what really matters in life. Socrates said it was knowledge; Aristotle said self realization and Epicurus said it was pleasure. I know that for me it is a moving target. What mattered to be in my younger years and especially before I became a Christian are totally different from what matters now.

Years back, I would focus on the material things, power, position and possessions. But now my focus is on family, faith friends and relationships. As Paul said to the church at Corinth, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Randy’s last lecture was like that. It was a one of a kind lecture that made the world stop and pay attention. Knowing he had only weeks to live, he said “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”

As I read his book I thought, what wisdom would I impart to the world if I knew it was my last chance? If I knew I was going to vanish tomorrow, what would I want as my legacy? Randy’s lecture was not about dying; it was about living — living a life that really leaves a legacy and one that makes a difference for the better in the lives of people left behind. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment because ‘time is all you have…and you may find one day that you have less than you think.’  It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

The older I get, the more I realize that it’s the little things that count, but little things can move mountains when they inspire and motivate people and when I focus less on this life and more on the life to come.

Question: Where is your focus?

By John Grant
used by permission

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“For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you.” (1 Corinthians 15:31)

If I told you this was your last day on earth, would your priorities and your attitude towards others change? We believe on most levels that we control some things in our lives. This control is part of our flesh – it is the battle between our fleshly sin and God’s Spirit that is alive in us through His Son Jesus Christ.

Paul told the Corinthians that he died daily, for Paul lived daily in Christ Jesus not in himself. This is true humility. Humility is to die to ourselves, our flesh, our control, all worldly desires so that we may live in Christ Jesus alone and alone in the will of our Father in Heaven.

Jesus taught us to pray that Father’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Is your life lacking a life-altering experience? Could it be due to a lack of humility in your life?

This morning, thank God for the day and die to yourself. Live with the uncertainty of anything you do and give up your control. Let the Spirit of God be your guide, let Him who created all on this earth and the entire universe be the one who steers your life today. Only in true humility can we allow God to lead us. Only in true humility can we really hear His Spirit guiding us in all our circumstances and relationships. To impose ourselves on others is not humility; it is pride, and it is control.

Lord, open our eyes to see how much we inflict our own personal agendas upon our circumstances and all the relationships that you put in our lives. Help us to truly be humble as You were. Let our flesh pass away this morning and let Your Kingdom shine as a light through us into the darkness of this world. Let the words that come from our lips be of Your Spirit and not of our flesh. Lord we ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Questions: What does this kind of humility look like on a practical level? How will it change the way you live?

by Rev. Daniel Forster
used by permission

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You live one final breath from your own funeral.

Which, from God’s perspective, is nothing to grieve. He responds to these grave facts with this great news: “The day you die is better than the day you are born”  (Ecclesiastes 7:1). Now there is a twist. Heaven enjoys a maternity-ward reaction to funerals. Angels watch body burials the same way grandparents monitor delivery-room doors. “He’l be coming through any minute”  They can’t wait to see the new arrival. While we’re driving hearses and wearing black, they’re hanging pink and blue streamers and passing out cigars. We don’t grieve when babies enter the world. The hosts of heaven don’t weep when we leave it.

Oh, but many of us weep at the thought of death. Do you? Do you dread your death? And is your dread of death robbing your joy of life?

Jesus came to “deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (Hebrews 2:15).

Your death may surprise you and sadden others, but heaven knows no untimely death:  “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:16).

Dread of death ends when you know heaven is your true home. In all my air travels I’ve never seen one passenger weep when the plane landed. Never. No one clings to the armrests and begs, “Don’t make me leave. Don’t make me leave. Let me stay and eat more peanuts.”  We’re willing to exit because the plane has no permanent mailing address. Nor does this world. “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior”  (Philippians 3:20).

Why don’t you do this: give God your death. Imagine your last breath, envision your final minutes, and offer them to him. Deliberately. Regularly. “Lord, I receive your work on the cross and in your resurrection. I entrust you with my departure from earth.”  With Christ as your friend and heaven as your home, the day of death becomes sweeter than the day of birth.

by Max Lucado
Used by permission
From: Come Thirsty
(Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004) Max Lucado

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://www.maxlucado.com/about/

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The post When Death Becomes Birth appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3

A few years ago, a popular Christian song depicted Paul and Silas at the midnight hour standing in a Roman prison cell, beaten, battered, and abandoned. Yet, their voices, singing praise to God, could be heard above the other prisoners’ sounds of despair.

As I imagined Paul and Silas’ bloody and bruised hands lifted in genuine heartfelt praise to God, I longed to have a heart that would praise him despite the circumstances. I pleaded for God to develop such a heart within me.

During that time, my thirteen-year-old daughter, April, suffered from curvature of the spine. Her condition worsened to the degree that it required surgery to prevent life-threatening heart or lung damage. My husband and I researched the doctor and knew he had performed the surgery multiple times. After the surgery, April would be in severe pain for an extended period of time. God had impressed it upon my heart to do a Bible study about suffering. I thought God was preparing me to help April endure the suffering she’d experience after surgery. But he had a different purpose.

April never woke up after that surgery. That began the most difficult journey of my life — learning to live without her. At times when I was drowning in grief, I’d praise God for the moments I shared with April.

Instead of focusing on what I’d lost, I’d focus on what we’d had. Through that journey, I’ve learned our strength to enduring difficult times doesn’t come from within ourselves but from God who inhabits the praises of his people.

Dear Lord, in the midst of suffering, help me find the boldness to praise you anyway knowing that you are in control, are always there, and care about me. Thank you for your love and mercy for me. Amen.

By Veda Lucas
Used by Permission

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The post The Midnight Hour appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21

While we were driving from Florida to Texas on I-10, our planned schedule came to a screeching halt in Louisiana. After waiting for an hour, we crawled en masse to the next exit where law enforcement diverted all westbound traffic off the highway. We saw why. An 18-wheeler lay on its side, blocking all lanes.

In that swampy area, the only parallel road had two lanes. We kept crawling for another hour, sandwiched between other vehicles, until the next exit was accessible. At first it was maddening to get so behind schedule. Then we started noticing trees, flowers, birds, interesting houses, and yard art, things we wouldn’t know existed had we kept driving 70 mph on the highway.

In the same way, our lives take unexpected detours when we experience job loss, a forced move, serious illness, or death of family or friends. We have choices: we can grumble, curse, or scream about the unfairness of changing our plans, or we can trust God, pray for wisdom, and accept the new route open to us.

For all we know, God might have placed that detour in our path, either to prevent a worse tragedy from occurring, or to experience unforeseen blessings along the way.

Lord, help me put my trust in you when my plans fail and grief and disappointment result. Let me accept the unexpected detour graciously, with faith that you will guide me safely through my journey. Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
Used by Permission

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“When Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end.” Romans 6:5-6 (MSG)

Don’t you love that sentence? “It was the signal of the end of death-as-the-end.”

The resurrection is an exploding flare announcing to all sincere seekers that it is safe to believe. Safe to believe in ultimate justice. Safe to believe in eternal bodies. Safe to believe in heaven as our estate and the earth as its porch. Safe to believe in a time when questions won’t keep us awake, and pain won’t keep us down. Safe to believe in open graves and endless days and genuine praise.

Because we can accept the resurrection story, it is safe to accept the rest of the story.

by Max Lucado
Used by permission
To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://www.maxlucado.com/about/

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“David sang this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan, and gave orders that everyone in Judah learn it by heart.”
2 Samuel 1:17-18, The Message

David called the nation to mourning. He rendered weeping a public policy. He refused to gloss over or soft-pedal death. He faced it, fought it, challenged it. But he didn’t deny it. As his son Solomon explained, “There is…a time to mourn” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4).

Give yourself some. Face your grief with tears, time, and ‘one more’ face your grief with truth. Paul urged the Thessalonians to grieve, but he didn’t want the Christians to “carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word.” (1 Thesselonians 4:13 The Message).

God has the last word on death. And, if you listen, he will tell you the truth about your loved ones. They’ve been dismissed from the hospital called Earth. You and I still roam the halls, smell the medicines, and eat green beans and Jell-O off plastic trays. They, meanwhile, enjoy picnics, inhale springtime, and run through knee-high flowers. You miss them like crazy, but can you deny the truth? They have no pain, doubt, or struggle. They really are happier in heaven.

And won’t you see them soon? Life blisters by at mach speed. “You have made my days a mere hand breadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath” (Psalm 39:5).

When you drop your kids off at school, do you weep as though you’ll never see them again? When you drop your spouse at the store and park the car, do you bid a final forever farewell? No. When you say, “I’ll see you soon,” you mean it. When you stand in the cemetery and stare down at the soft, freshly turned earth and promise, “I’ll see you soon,” you speak the truth. Reunion is a splinter of an eternal moment away.

So go ahead, face your grief. Give yourself time. Permit yourself tears. God understands. He knows the sorrow of a grave. He buried his son. But he also knows the joy of resurrection. And, by his power, you will too.

Question: Why is it so often so difficult in our culture to face our grief, not as God’s confident sons and daughters, but “like the rest of men, who have no hope“? (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2009/09/11/ml_grief/

****************************************************************
Max Lucado
From: Facing Your Giants
© (W Publishing Group, 2006)

Used by permission
To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://www.maxlucado.com/about/

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