Letters to the Thessalonians

November 19th, 2019

This devotional is written by Maddie Bowe. Maddie Bowe has been leading worship in St Mary's for the last few years. She thinks she lives here and constantly leaves belongings behind and takes any odd job going.. we can’t get rid of her.. send help..

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Believers Who Have Died

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Reflection

"..be quite certain about the truth concerning those who have passed away, so that you won't be overwhelmed with grief like many others who have no hope." ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4:13‬ ‭(TPT‬‬)

CERTAIN. HOPE.

To be CERTAIN of Him, to be CERTAIN of what He did. To HOPE in Him.

He made a way. I just need to follow it, follow Him.

When a friend died of cancer this year, I cried and freaked out. It happened fast and I had regrets over not visiting her. All normal aspects of grief. However, compared with loss I experienced before becoming a Christian.. I had this unshakeable sense of peace, joy and hope. She was no longer suffering, she is now with Him and free from this world and the pain. It felt almost wrong to feel that, but I knew it to be true. I was CERTAIN of the destination she had now reached.

Knowing Him, means we should be able to live life with CERTAIN HOPE. To walk and live with the CERTAIN one. Because no matter how uncertain and hopeless we feel looking at our circumstances, or experiencing loss...HOPE is the key.

Do you have the hope of Christ firmly within you? Or is it loose, and needs to be fixed in place? Without hope, this life is {insert swear word here} hard!! It can sometimes feel like life itself is death and leads to more death- just me? But in everything, in every new moment we get to choose Him. To choose and to know Him is to choose and to know Hope. Capital H.
He is the CERTAIN one. He is HOPE.

CERTAIN HOPE.

Jesus,
Help me to know you as certain hope. Help me to turn to you in every new moment. Help me to be reassured by my certain eternal place with you. Help me to hope for my life on earth and in heaven.
Come Holy Spirit, fill me up afresh. Let me feel and know certain hope right at the core of my being.
Amen
.. don’t rush off! Patiently wait on His presence and stay in it for a hot minute!