We grieve, but not as those who have no hope

"How lovely is Your tabernacle,

O Lord of hosts!"

Psalm 84:1

It's Sunday as I write this. 

First thing in the morning.

The house is quiet.

As is my habit, I went to my computer and checked my emails.  I always do, when I wake up; partially to see if I have anything from after I went to bed the night before, and partially because the brightness of the screen forces my eyes to wake up a little bit.  Although truth be told, I generally turn the screen down quite a bit, because my eyes aren't ready to wake up that much...

But this morning I was checking for a specific message.

I was wondering if a friend of mine had died. 

He is close to death.  He's been battling cancer, and we were told on Saturday that the family thought it was only a matter of hours.  And the way we'll be notified is via a church-wide prayer request. 

I did not get that notification, so I said another prayer for the family, and turned to Charles Spurgeon. 

Well, not Spurgeon himself, although I'd love that.   Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening".  My all-time favorite devotional.   And the verse for this morning coincided so beautifully with where my thoughts are. 

"Strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the Lord's house" ~ Jeremiah 51:51

Now, I don't really know what this means.  I'm not that familiar with the Book of Jeremiah.  My guess would be it has to do with non-believers desecrating the temple.  But what it means to me today is we, as believers, are invited into His presence.  That when we take our last breath on earth, we will take our next in heaven. 

Once, we were all strangers to Him.  But faith makes us His children.  "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19) 

And we, who once were strangers, will be welcome in the presence of God.

~

It's Sunday evening as I finish this.  And another saint is in the arms of His Savior. 

~

~ "I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope...

For the Lord Himself will descent from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words." ~

1 Thessalonians 4:13,16-18

~