In one of my Bibles beside 1 Thessalonians 4, I have the names written of some people who have died. The latest one is Randy Mann, my daughter’s soon to be father-in-law. He, like all of us will be, was buried in the ground in a grave.
That grave is full for now.
But there is an empty grave!
Be thankful for that empty grave when the graves here on earth are so full.
We are told in 1 Thessalonians 4 not to grieve as others do who have no hope. But how? How do we not grieve as others do when we miss someone so much it’s hard to breathe sometimes?
Through the empty grave! Through Jesus! We know He’s coming back on the clouds with a loud shout and trumpet and bringing with Him all who have died in Him. That is our hope! He is our hope!
In chapter 5 Paul says, “He will surely do it.”
Yes, it is okay to grieve, but let others see our hope in Jesus. We grieve because we’ll miss them in our lives but know we’ll see them again coming on the clouds with Jesus.
What a picture of hope!
I see an empty grave!
