Who have you lost this year? Whose death turned your life upside down? A parent, sibling, child, friend, boss, other relatives? They are all difficult moments. Times of weeping. Great grief that consumes nearly all of one’s being.
A good guess says that your loss was not of great significance to others. There was likely no mention on the news. Only an obituary, perhaps written by you, was in the daily paper. Flags were not lowered. You suffered a loss. Who noticed?
There is One who knows. Your loss was noticed. He saw it, He knows the hurt. He knows your grief. He understands what you’re going through.
Many of us know that not even a sparrow will fall without Him seeing it. How much more valuable is your parent, brother, sister, child, friend, neighbor, or relative? For people of faith, the knowledge of life eternal with God is like a rock. It is something solid to stand on when the darkest days come upon us.
This year has been those darkest days for many. A pandemic has caused fear, panic, loneliness, and of course, many have died. Many want to cry out, How long, Lord?
So they’re gone. We’ve lost them. They have left this life for another. With that comes a question.
Where did they go? It is a difficult question for some.
The answer often goes something like this.
“I hope they went to Heaven. They were a wonderful person. They were nice to everyone. Everybody liked them. They didn’t have a mean bone in their body. I hope they are in Heaven, and I’ll see them again.” I Hope. I Hope. Hope is all that is left.
But our hope can no longer be for them. We now have ourselves and those still with us to hope for.
What is that hope? What is it we hope for?
There is good news. There is Hope. A living Hope found in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. God loves us so much that He has given anyone, everyone, a clear path, a free path to Him for eternity. Life in Heaven. That is the hope.
If you already know Jesus, if you have given your heart to the Lord, if you know that only by faith in Him will you see God, then praise God. But what about your family, your friends, your neighbor? Do they know Jesus?
If they died tonight, what will you be saying tomorrow? “I hope they went to Heaven?” Or would you say, “Praise God, they are with Him now?”
That’s the work left to be done. With all the death, destruction, panic, and fear these days, at least we can be sure that those closest to us will not be lost.
God never intended that anyone perish. That all would come into His glory by the saving power of Jesus Christ. That is the hope. The hope of eternal life with God, rather than eternal torment without God.
Imagine, only for a moment, what life would be like without any goodness whatsoever. No kindness, no love, no friends. Just darkness without any joy at all.
Then imagine the exact opposite. A life full of light. A light so complete that there are no shadows. A life in the presence of God and all the goodness, love, and friendship one could ever think of or imagine. A life where there is no suffering. A life of perfect health.
How can it be? It can, and it will be exactly that for those who take God at His Word.
God knows that all of mankind has sinned. All fall short of His standard, which is perfection. Only perfection can be in the presence of perfection. And God is perfect.
So He paid the price for the sins of mankind. God sacrificed His only Son, holy, and perfect. Jesus gave His life so that the rest of us can live eternally with God. Jesus’ perfect sacrifice covers all our sins. Our sins are canceled, the debt has been paid. Enter into the joy of the Lord.
It only requires one thing.
Your heart. You must give your heart to Christ. Confess you’re not perfect. Pray you’ll try to do better, and ask Him to be the Lord of your life. Simple stuff, but really hard for some to do.
The sad part is not the wicked ones who won’t come to Jesus. Most will admit if asked, that those people won’t be missed in Heaven. God would save them too, but they have allowed their hearts to be hardened.
The real question is, what about your friend, or brother, the ones you love? What if they miss out on Heaven because they were never told? If they knew there was a choice, they would make the right one. Right?
Tell them. Tell them today. Tell them before it’s too late. Tell them so that someday you won’t be hoping they didn’t miss Heaven.
Oh Yeah, How about You? Have made your choice?
So where do I start? You ask. Maybe you could have them read this. If it got you thinking, it will do the same for them. Right?