Psalm 116:15

Psalm 116:15

TEV How painful it is to the Lord when one of his people dies!
NLT The Lord’s loved ones are precious to him; it grieves him when they die.
RSV Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
ASV Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints.

All of us have had loved ones precede us into heaven. We know that we will be with them again when we are ushered into the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We understand that we’ll have new bodies and be pain-free and healthy and that our loved one is even now experiencing that joy, but for now we wait. We feel the pain of our loss and grief and the weight of the words we wanted to say or the hugs we wanted to give.

I look forward to being with Jesus. I want those old things in my life to pass away and leave me to rejoice in the new. Heaven is our destination. It’s where we will inherit our eternal promised land and forever be with the Lord. The Word assures us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:4). The glory we’ve seen so far on earth will grow dim in the light of His glory and grace and we’ll finally see Him face to face.

But for now, we grieve the loss of our loved ones. The Holy Spirit helps us to rejoice in their gain and time heals us. God heals our heart and soul and the reality of eternity is more real and we look forward to it. 1 Thess. 4:13 tells us that we will sorrow, but that those who have preceded us will return when the Lord returns, they will be with Him, and we will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And then we will always be with the Lord. We may grieve now, but we will have the final victory with Christ. So comfort each other in loss and look up! Our redemption is closer all the time. God bless you church. Be strengthened in your spirit and let the Holy Spirit comfort your soul while we wait for Him and His return.

Pastor Darrell