But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

For the Christian, the power of the spiritual life comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit. As we open our heart to the Word with an eagerness to obey it, the Spirit causes us to grow and bear fruit. We can’t make ourselves grow, but we can tend the soil, keep our hearts soft, receptive, and obedient to God’s Word. Then we will yield the fruit of righteousness. What kind of soil are you?

As Christians we do not want our friends and family to die around us. But sometimes that’s just the way it is. For us as Christians we know that we will see our loved ones again, eternally – all because of Jesus Christ. How sad for those who do not know Christ. They won’t see their loved ones, nor will their loved ones see them. Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee of our own.

Our Daily Bread – February 22, 2004