Grieving and Hope
Today has been a busy day for a Saturday. I have had several phone calls from people who needed help and prayer. As I tried to help each one by sharing God's love and His truth, I noticed a profound difference. Those who have the Lord's hope are able to handle things so much better than those who don't. I knew this already, but the Lord just gave this truth a little emphasis for me today.
I spoke to a Christian lady whose husband died yesterday. She was blessed to have been married to him for 63 years, and she was blessed to be at his side when he left here to go to heaven. As he slipped away, he was able to assure her that they would be together soon in heaven. What a comfort! They may be apart for a few years, but they will have eternity with Jesus together.
However, as I spoke to a young man about his family, there was a different tone completely. He has a father who might not live another year because of his physical condition, and his spiritual condition is not good, either. He was told his twin brother, whom he hasn't seen in a while, has lung cancer, and his nephew has liver disease. Each case hit him like a ton of bricks, because of the lack of God's hope.
Hope is the confident assurance of what God will cause to happen in the future. It is not wishful thinking. It is substance that comes from our faith in Him and knowing our family and friends have faith in Him. God gives us His hope, since we can't foresee the future. We don't have to see it. All we need to do is to know the One who is in control of the future and to know we are right with him. That hope makes all the difference in the world.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Song of Solomon 5-7.
I spoke to a Christian lady whose husband died yesterday. She was blessed to have been married to him for 63 years, and she was blessed to be at his side when he left here to go to heaven. As he slipped away, he was able to assure her that they would be together soon in heaven. What a comfort! They may be apart for a few years, but they will have eternity with Jesus together.
However, as I spoke to a young man about his family, there was a different tone completely. He has a father who might not live another year because of his physical condition, and his spiritual condition is not good, either. He was told his twin brother, whom he hasn't seen in a while, has lung cancer, and his nephew has liver disease. Each case hit him like a ton of bricks, because of the lack of God's hope.
Hope is the confident assurance of what God will cause to happen in the future. It is not wishful thinking. It is substance that comes from our faith in Him and knowing our family and friends have faith in Him. God gives us His hope, since we can't foresee the future. We don't have to see it. All we need to do is to know the One who is in control of the future and to know we are right with him. That hope makes all the difference in the world.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Song of Solomon 5-7.