Close Comfort

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.… Therefore encourage one another with these words.”  1st Thessalonians 4:13–18

Paul here offers comfort to these believers who had lost loved ones in death and worried whether these loved ones would miss the glorious moment when the Lord returns for His church. Paul tells them that, far from missing that great day, those who have died in Christ will be on center stage! He says that when the Lord comes, the dead in Christ will rise first. They will not only be a part of that great day, they will even precede living believers at the moment of the Rapture. How does that apply to your life? Well, as a pastor I’ve seen many believers over the years lose a beloved Christian family member or friend in death, and wonder how long it would be until they see them again. Will they have to wait until their own death? Maybe, but maybe not! Seeing your lost loved one is really just as close as the Rapture. We might even see them today, for the Lord could come at any time. So as Paul said, encourage yourself with these words.

Father, help us to understand your timing in the taking of those that we’ve loved  through death. You knew best. And give us, we pray, faith to carry on until that wonderful day when Jesus comes to unite us all! Oh Lord, may that day be soon! in the name of the coming Savior .Amen.