"For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens...So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith not by sight." (2 Cor.5:1,6)
As life and time marches on, so too the departure of loved ones. Recently a number of good friends have had to say goodbye to dearly beloved parents. And I don't care how old someone is or how sick or how much pain is involved, it's still hard--so extraordinarily hard--to lose someone. Of course, I need to restate that, because believers never truly "lose" someone, for we know exactly where they've gone and where they are. If we know where we can find them and know that we will see them again, then they are not one bit lost to us. Just relocated...or should I say, infinitely upgraded.
I've recently been reading a powerful book by Levi Lusko entitled Through the Eyes of a Lion. It's about the experience of the shockingly unexpected death of their family's five year old daughter, Lenya after she suffered a catastrophic asthma attack. This happened just days before Christmas. I won't go into all the details of the book, but suffice it to say, this pastor's brutal honesty and yet indomitable faith, hope, and love have left an indelible mark on all who've heard this family's story.
But I loved these words Lusko wrote: "As agonizing and painful as it can be, death is the ultimate upgrade for the believer: moving from the tent into the home Jesus has been preparing for you. Charles Spurgeon once preached, 'Death, as it pulls away our sackcloth canopy, will reveal to our wondering eyes the palace of the King in which we shall dwell forever, and, therefore, what cause have we to be alarmed at it?'
The tent you leave behind is not you. You are not your body. You will never be buried. There is not a single person in a cemetery. Those who used to inhabit those tents have moved on into eternity. Death is not the end of the road; it's just a bend in the road...
We must fight to remember that the grave doesn't get the last word. The body that was taken from us will be returned in our resurrection...The very word cemetery itself comes from the Latin word dormitory and means 'sleeping place.' When the coffin lid closes it sure seems final, but it is only a temporary arrangement. One day Jesus will give a wake-up call to the bodies in the dorms, and they will rise. This promise is the hardest to remember when you need it the most, but you must force yourself to look at death through this lens."
Praise God for the gift of our Savior who conquered sin and death and whose resurrection assures us of eternal life in heaven. For every believer, death does not, not, not have the final word... Jesus does, and His Word promises that the moment we die, we're instantly relocated, upgraded to heaven--a place of incalculable wonder, beauty, love, perfection, joy, and glory.
So yes, we grieve the loss of our loved ones. But while we weep over their departure, at the same time we rejoice over their arrival. Our temporary loss...their eternal gain. Our sadness over missing them...their joy over finally and truly being home. And our hope and happiness because we believe--we know--that we will see them again one day in glory. No more sorrow or pain or fear or separation or disease or weakness. But they--and we--perfected. Glorious. Radiant. Joyful. Powerful. Christ-adoring, Christ-exalting, Christ-reflecting.
Thank You, Father, for the certain promise and hope of heaven. Thank You that because of Jesus, we know that we will see our loved ones in You again, and we will enjoy the wonder of Your priceless gift of salvation forever.
And thank You that those we love in Christ who are already home in heaven are not dead. No, no, they are more vibrant, more joyful, more gloriously alive than any of us still here on this old earth. Give us eyes of faith to see and hearts to trust in You and Your unfailing Word. And when we struggle with fear and doubt in the face of death, help us to cry out like that father coming to Jesus with his sick child, "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) You will never, ever turn away such a plea for You are the infinitely good, wise, powerful, and loving Father.
"I am the Resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:25-26) Thank You, Jesus, our Resurrection and our Life.
To God be the glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment