Daily Wisdom 03-28-2002 Only An Interruption

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Only An Interruption

When I went on my first international ministry trip, I was gone for three weeks, which was the longest I had ever left my wife and three young children. Before leaving, Karen mobilized the kids to put little love notes all over and all through my luggage. . . we had a nice meal together on the way to the airport... and then some special hugs and kisses at the airport. It was a sad moment. Karen was trying to look like she was fine... the children were obviously hurting. I managed to hold myself together until I rounded the bend in the concourse, then I started wiping tears from my eyes. It was really hard, but one thing made it OK. It was only temporary. We would be reunited.

Life's partings are tough... especially when someone we love slips into eternity. Death just rips us up inside, and the grief is sometimes almost unbearable. But because of Jesus, it's almost bearable. Why? Because if we belong to Jesus, and our loved one did, then this is not the termination of our relationship. It is--because of Christ--only an interruption . God describes this hope in our grief-stricken times in I Thessalonians 4:13-17. "We do not want you... to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope." I'm glad God didn't say believers don't grieve, because we do. But we grieve with hope. "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command... and the dead in Christ will rise first." "After that, we who are still alive... 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." Wow! When Jesus walked out of His grave, He conquered death for all those who would ever give their lives to Him. It doesn't mean we won't die someday. But it means the real you, your soul, will go on forever in Gods great Heaven.

The Bible says, "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is, your victory?" (I Corinthians 15:54-55). You may be struggling with the loss of someone you love. And the pain is very real--death was never meant to be part of our lives. Sin brought in death. But Jesus died to pay the death penalty for our sin, and then, on Easter morning, beat this monster that had beaten every person who ever lived.

Now, because of Jesus, the very worst death can be for believers is an interruption of the relationship, never a termination. And if you have never put your total trust in Jesus to be your own Savior from sin and death, don't risk another day without Him.

That day of my long trip, the pain and the tears were real, as they are on a much deeper level, when someone we love is leaving us for eternity. But you can handle the leaving if you know what I knew that day at the airport--that this separation is only an interruption. And an awesome reunion is coming!

Today's Daily Wisdom is written by Ron Hutchcraft, based on his popular radio broadcast,"A Word With You"."A WORD WITH YOU" daily devotionals are now available via e-mail. To subscribe send a blank email to:awordwithyou-subscribe@hutchcraft.com,or to request the "Yours for Life" booklet, fill out the form on this site:http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm/yours/yflorder.html. Ron Hutchcraft Ministries has been on-line with Gospelcom since February, 1996, providingpractical answers to real life issues. (c) 2000 Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.PO Box 400, Harrison AR 72602