Readings

Revelation 7:9-17

Psalm 34:1-10, 22

1 John 3:1-3

Matthew 5:1-12

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Watching loved ones suffer and eventually die is never easy – no matter how prepared you are. Everyone in our lives means something different to us – mother, father, grandparents, friends, mentor, teacher, wife, husband, acquaintance, or [whoever]. And no matter how much we prepared ourselves, especially if the individual suffered for a long time, we never are prepared for the hole that the absence of the individual leaves.

But the Bible gives us the assurance that the individuals who pass away go to a better place. From Revelation, we know that all the saints are with God worshipping him day and night and are giving thanksgiving to the Lord (Revelation 7:11, 15). In return, the saints are no longer hungry or thirsty, too cold or hot, in pain, or anything (Revelation 7:16). And Jesus is with the saints giving them water and shelter (Revelation 7:17).

Personally, I find it comforting to remember that the individual who has passed away is in a better place. God’s love and grace give us the comfort in knowing that individuals who suffered from an illness or disability get a new body and are no longer in pain. Part of me is excited to go to heaven and be freed of my earthly body as well as giving me comfort that others who go be before me will experience the same thing.

Sometimes, children or young adults will pass away and we ask why God had to take them so soon. What do you tell a parent(s) who has to bury their child(ren)? Where is God’s love and grace?  These questions are never easy answer if you can find the right words to say in the first place. The only thing you can say is that the child(ren) is in a better place and no long have to suffer – that is God’s love and grace. We may never know the why, but we can rest in the comfort of God’s love and grace.

Death is never an easy subject to approach; death signifies a lost in individuals’ lives. But is it really a lost? We must remember we will be reunited with those who have gone before us in heaven with the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God’s love and grace gives us the strength to carry on in this world because we will be reunited in heaven. We will only be on this earth for a little while, and then we go to be with God in heaven with all of the other saints.

When it is all said and done, God will wipe away our tears and give us shelter. Even in death, God is our comforter; we are never truly alone. When we are suffering, God suffers, and when we rejoice, God rejoices.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us the comfort in knowing you take care of all of your saints. Help us to feel comfort in your love and grace. Thank you for your love and grace. Amen.

Works Cited

Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

Reflective Questions

Please feel free to answer the reflective questions through comments.  Please agree to disagree and be respectable to each other. Please take a moment, if you have not already, to sign the covenant.  You can answer all or just one of the questions. 

1. Where do you find comfort when someone dies?