Best Reunion Ever

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command,

 with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and

the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are

 still alive and are left will be caught up together with

them in the clouds to meet the Lord  in the air.

And so we will be with the Lord forever.”              

I Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV)

The videos showing a family member coming home from the military to surprise those they love get to me every time. I automatically get out the tissues when one pops up on the internet or on television.

They all make me cry. The son who thinks he is throwing a pitch to his catcher, when the catcher’s mask is suddenly pulled off to reveal Dad. The wife who has been told she is to receive an award for her husband in his absence, only to turn around and see him running toward her. The child in class who looks up from her deskwork and yells “Mommy, you’re back!” as her mother peeks in the door and falls to her knees to scoop up her daughter.

The stories behind those beautiful reunions are similar. Family members have been gone for several weeks or months – apart from their loved ones, serving their country in the military. Some have been able to Skype occasionally as well as talk on the phone; others have not been able to communicate with each other except through mail.

They also share one common bond: none of those getting the surprise reunion had any idea it was being planned. They knew they would see each other again but had no idea exactly when it would occur.

The Scripture from I Thessalonians has become sweeter than ever to me recently. Paul is speaking about Christ’s return and he is explaining what will happen. From this passage we learn that Jesus will be the one leading the glorious get-together.

First He will collect His children who have passed away and then those who are still alive. Both groups “will be caught up together . . . in the clouds.” Wow!

Can you imagine it? Hugging a spouse or child again! Smiling as you once again see a parent or grandparent! I can imagine the hugs and laughter that will roar through the clouds at that glorious reunion.

Do this for me: think of those special people in your life who have passed away. Now, picture meeting them again face to face.

Just as the military families don’t know when the reunion will take place, we Christians do not know the exact date.

But we DO know it’s going to happen one day. And when it does, we are going to shout “best reunion ever!”

Father, oh the hope that you give with your promise that we will be together with our loved ones who knew you. Thank you for that joyful reunion. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you had doubts about seeing a loved one again?

Application

• Re-read today’s Power Verses and picture in your mind what the beautiful reunion will be like with loved ones who have passed away.

• Praise the Lord for His death and resurrection that make heavenly reunions possible.

Power Verses

• I  Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV) “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

• John 14:2-3 (NIV) “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

• I Corinthians 2:9 (NIV) “ . . . No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him . . .”

• I Corinthians 15:55 (NIV) “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

• Psalms 147:3 (NIV) “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Kicking Out the Uninvited Guest

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”

Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV)

An uninvited guest moved into my home immediately after my husband passed away. No matter where I turned, he was there. And he never slept.

I would wake up to his repeated taunts and whispers. With every attack my heart would race in my chest as if I had just run a marathon. “Who’s going to be next?” he would taunt. “Someone else is going to die; who do you think it is?” he would challenge and then fade into the background, leaving me with a choking panic in my throat.

One morning a daily phone call to a close friend was not answered. From out of nowhere a voice spoke a lie to my heart. “She’s dead. She was the next one.” And for an instant, I almost believed him.

The name of my uninvited guest? Satan, the evil liar. He did every thing he could to move into my home – and my heart – with his baggage of deception and deceit. His purpose was to drain my joy and my hope and to shake my very foundation and belief and trust in Jesus.

In my defense, within about a 5 month time period, I had lost my brother-in-law, who was more like a brother; my sister who was my best friend and two weeks after that, my husband.

I cannot begin to describe the deep heartache and grief that filled every second of my days and nights. I held on to the Lord with every ounce of strength I had but there were many days when simply breathing became an accomplishment.  

The entire book of Psalms became my place of refuge – my hiding place. I literally ran to my Bible and held it closely as I read one Scripture after another in which David talked about holding on to God with everything He had. Why?

Because even David had days when he was lonely and defeated and heartbroken and beaten up spiritually. And yes, when he was afraid. David the warrior was afraid.

Psalm 46:1-2 became a minute by minute encouragement to me. David wrote “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”

That was exactly how I felt: everything beneath my feet had broken apart and I was in free fall with no rope for security.

If you have not experienced the suddenness of loss – either of a loved one or a job or something secure in your life – you will. Jesus tells us that we will have problems in this world (John 16:33) but the great news is that He has already overcome every single heartache that we will face.

Because Jesus held on to me and spoke truth, my uninvited guest was kicked from my home and my heart and replaced with the power of the Holy Spirit. Oh, Satan still tries to sneak back in every so often. But I no longer live in fear. I live in faith.

Father, thank you for being my strength when I have none and for always being by my side. I choose to listen to your voice. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Can you think of an experience when fear took over every part of your life and you found yourself struggling?

Application

• There are 150 chapters in the book of Psalms. Read 5 per day for one month.

• Underline or highlight those parts that specifically speak to your heart.

• Memorize today’s Scripture and praise the Lord for His presence by your side, no matter what you face in life. He is faithful.

Power Verses

• Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV) “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”

• Psalm 27:1 (NIV) “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?”

• Psalm 34:4 (NIV) “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

• Psalm 16:8 (NIV) “I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

• Psalm 23:4 (NIV) “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

What I Really Think

 “These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.”

Matthew 15:8 (NIV)  

            Glasses that allow you to read minds? Sounds great, doesn’t it and what a novel idea! Or maybe not.

            That was the concept for a television show several years ago. An elderly lady found a pair of reading glasses in the back of a dresser drawer in her home. She discovered that when she put them on, she could hear what people were actually thinking while they were speaking to her. She was totally confused at first.

            For example, when she put the glasses on, she heard her grandson say “Man, I hope the old gal falls down those stairs. Can’t wait to get my inheritance!” She was shocked and quickly pulled the glass off and asked “What did you say?” Her grandson replied “I said to please be careful coming down the stairs so you don’t fall.”

            Thinking she had misunderstood, she put the glasses back on and glanced at her grandson’s girlfriend, only to hear her say “You old goat! Wish you would die already!”

            In shock, she pulled off the glasses and said “Excuse me?” and heard the young lady say “I said that I want you to be careful, too.”

            The elderly lady suddenly realized the value of the glasses: when she was wearing them, they had the ability to show her what a person was really thinking, no matter what they were saying.

            It isn’t a big leap to apply that scenario to our lives today, is it. We are all guilty of saying one thing while totally thinking the opposite. No?

            What about telling a friend how much we love her new dress but inside we are thinking “I would n-e-v-e-r buy something that ugly!”

            Or perhaps we tell someone we will be praying for them concerning a situation but inside we think “You know, you really got what you deserved.”

            Jesus dealt with people who said one thing but who were only giving “lip service” to Him. He called them hypocrites. Ouch.

In Matthew 15:8 He said “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”  He knew that what we think in our minds comes directly from our hearts.

Allowing critical thoughts and judgmental opinions space in our hearts will give them permission to take up residence in our minds. In the same way, if kindness and compassion occupy our hearts, they will be a part of our lives.

            I cringe as I consider those times that I said one thing and thought something totally different. What if the person could hear what I was actually thinking? How embarrassed and ashamed I would be!

            My encouragement for today is to allow the Lord to create pure hearts in each of us (Psalm 51:10) and to make sure that the words we speak AND think will be pleasing to Him.

            Father, I do not always serve you with my thoughts and my words. Please forgive me and help me to honor you with everything in me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Can you think of a time that you spoke one thing but were thinking something totally different?
• Would you have been embarrassed if the person you were thinking about could actually hear those thoughts?

Application

• Memorize Matthew 15:8. Stop and consider comments before you make them to make sure you are not saying one thing but thinking another. 

Power Verses

• Matthew 15:8 (NIV) “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
• Psalm 51:10 (NIV) “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
• Psalm 19:14 (NIV) “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
• I Samuel 16:7 (NIV) “. . . The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
• Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”