Sing to Me of Heaven

​Needless to say, with the volume of funerals in my life in the last 30 days, the thought and vision of heaven has taken center stage in my thinking.  It’s hard watching the pain associated with death in those who the bible says, “grieve as though they have no hope.”  What a contrast between those who grieve with hope from those who grieve without hope.  I noticed in the text, Paul didn’t say the saved would not grieve, he tells us our grieving is different in its foundation.  In fact, for those in Christ, it’s the sorrow of not seeing the deceased again in this life.  It is the impact the passing has left on the family.  It the hole that it leaves in the hearts of loved ones.  However, there is also the joy of knowing they are with the Lord.  Now they can rest from their labors.  Now any disease and pain is gone and they are whole again, and in that we rejoice.  We also rejoice in the fact that Jesus is preparing a place where we will live eternally.  There is so much to be joyful about. So we wrestle in our humanity with these two important emotions, when death comes knocking. What we experience makes me fully understand in an even greater way what the apostle Paul was driving at when he spoke of dying in the Lord.  To put this into perspective the best I can, I grieve for those who cannot see the cross, as well as those who see it, but refuse to embrace it.  How can they?  How can they walk away from the greatest offer they will ever receive?  How can they say no to the greatest hope they will ever know?  How can they turn their backs on the greatest love they will ever experience?  Has Satan really blinded them this much?  Can it be possible that he has dulled their ears as well, so they cannot hear?   If nothing else this serves as a solemn reminder that we have a lot of work to do to reach those who are perishing.  Today it is important more than ever, that we be about our father’s business.
 
Blessings.
Lamar