RECONNECTING WITH LOVED ONES IN HEAVEN
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 (NASB)
C.S. Lewis, the author of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Mere Christianity, and many other Christian works, was part of the Inklings, a group of friends who loved fantasy and Christian values. Sadly, one of their friends, Charles Williams, died unexpectedly. This loss was devastating, and Lewis explored this loss in the excerpt below from The Four Loves:
In each of my friends, there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out…Now that Charles is dead, I shall never again see Ronald’s [Tolkien’s] reaction to a specifically Charles joke. Far from having more of Ronald, having him to myself now that Charles is away, I have less of Ronald.
As Christians, God tells us to grieve over lost loved ones, but not to despair. Jesus still grieved over the death of His cousin John the Baptist, knowing full well He’d see him again (Matthew 14:13). In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, Paul wanted to fill believers with hope. It’s okay to miss those we’ve lost today, knowing full well that we’ll reconnect with those who knew Jesus again.
This does beg the question: what about those who die, but don’t accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior? This is too big a topic for such a small devotional, but we have to trust that in heaven nothing will be lacking. God will fill our souls with joy and hope, so it’s important to share Him with as many people as we can to fill heaven with more children, more family, more friends.
APPLICATION: Thank God that you’ll see loved ones who know Him again. If you’re unsure or discouraged about the salvation of someone who’s passed, entrust it to God. Pray for the salvation of people in your circle who may not know Jesus so that heaven will grow bigger, and our love will be further augmented.
PRAYER: God, thank You for Your grace, Your mercy and Your salvation. Thank You that I’m one of Your children and give me a heart to tell people about You to further grow Your family. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don't let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?