It Is Well

IT IS WELL

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

(Observation) The passage begins and ends with comfort as it’s stated purpose. Those who have died as believers in Jesus Christ will be raised from the dead to meet Jesus, “in the air” when He returns. Believers alive at the time will follow those arisen from the dead, to likewise, “meet the Lord in the air.”

(Interpretation) I suggest to you that we are to take comfort from the passage in at least two ways: First, because of our eternal “hope” in Jesus Christ we do not grieve the death of our loved ones without hope, for our saved fellows who have died “shall always be with the Lord.”  Second, because of our eternal “hope” in Jesus Christ we have comfort in all circumstances, whether pleasant or painful, for as He says, “no one will snatch them out of My hand.” So, although we suffer and weep over the death of our Christian loved ones, just as Jesus wept over the death of Lazarus (even though He was about to raise him from the dead) we do not suffer and weep without hope, for He has promised that they and we “shall always be with the Lord.”

(Cross-reference) John 10: 27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 “I and the Father are one.”

John 11: 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”

(Application) Perhaps Horatio Spafford said it best in the hymn he wrote during his own sorrow over the loss of his children; “When sorrow like sea billows roll; it is well, it is well with my soul..”  Though I weep and suffer over the departure of the love of my life Shirley, I do not weep and suffer without hope, for she and eventually I, “shall always be with the Lord.” As in the case of Mr. Spafford, in my own case also, “it is well with my soul..” Thank You Jesus.

What do you think? When God chooses to take your most dear one from you and you suffer with no cure in sight, where will you turn; to your hope in Jesus, or something else?

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