Whether we are grieving the loss of a loved one today or will be in the days to come, there’s nothing more comforting than maintaining an eternal perspective. After all, a joyful reunion awaits us (I Thessalonians 4:13)! Is there any greater comfort? Any greater hope?
Why would anyone refuse to embrace this truth? To hold it close to his or her heart? To rejoice in the fact that the apostle Paul was writing in 1 Thessalonians about eternity in a land free of sorrow and suffering – a land of total joy?
For the first three-quarters of my life, I was one of those people. I refused to seek out the truth about what happens beyond the grave, settling instead for a vague bit of wishful thinking that there might be Someplace and it might be Really Cool and Really Fun for everyone but Hitler. It was a perfect platform for total despair when I finally faced the biggest loss of my life.
"But God" is a phrase that is repeated 47 times in the New King James translation of the Bible, referring to the fact that nothing on this earth can thwart His purposes -- not even a hard heart. As He has promised, “whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved” (Acts 2:21b). And that promise is the door to unshakable certainty, peace, and joy.
If you are not absolutely certain about your eternal destiny, I hope you'll make this the day that you settle it once and for all. Repent and trust in Christ. Then, to develop “eternal eyes” capable of viewing all life’s circumstances with peace and even joy, delve into His word. The sincere seeker of His truth will find it. As the prophet Jeremiah wrote circa 600 B.C., “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
If you already know Him, please join me in sharing His truth with the lost. Yes, in doing so we will run into scoffing and rejection and all manner of persecution, but remember Jesus’ words in John 15: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” Proclaiming the Gospel is the best way to express our love for others, whatever the cost may be to us personally.
Remember, too, that the ultimate reunion awaits us. We need to do whatever we can to make sure everyone we care for will be there.
Adapted from a post originally published 12/30/13.
Why would anyone refuse to embrace this truth? To hold it close to his or her heart? To rejoice in the fact that the apostle Paul was writing in 1 Thessalonians about eternity in a land free of sorrow and suffering – a land of total joy?
For the first three-quarters of my life, I was one of those people. I refused to seek out the truth about what happens beyond the grave, settling instead for a vague bit of wishful thinking that there might be Someplace and it might be Really Cool and Really Fun for everyone but Hitler. It was a perfect platform for total despair when I finally faced the biggest loss of my life.
"But God" is a phrase that is repeated 47 times in the New King James translation of the Bible, referring to the fact that nothing on this earth can thwart His purposes -- not even a hard heart. As He has promised, “whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved” (Acts 2:21b). And that promise is the door to unshakable certainty, peace, and joy.
If you are not absolutely certain about your eternal destiny, I hope you'll make this the day that you settle it once and for all. Repent and trust in Christ. Then, to develop “eternal eyes” capable of viewing all life’s circumstances with peace and even joy, delve into His word. The sincere seeker of His truth will find it. As the prophet Jeremiah wrote circa 600 B.C., “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
If you already know Him, please join me in sharing His truth with the lost. Yes, in doing so we will run into scoffing and rejection and all manner of persecution, but remember Jesus’ words in John 15: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” Proclaiming the Gospel is the best way to express our love for others, whatever the cost may be to us personally.
Remember, too, that the ultimate reunion awaits us. We need to do whatever we can to make sure everyone we care for will be there.
Adapted from a post originally published 12/30/13.
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