1 Corinthians 15: 51--54 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." --NASB
In the name of the One Who comes with the trumpet blast, amen.
It is amazing the amount of sadness a person goes through when they lose a pet. An animal that lives with us becomes very treasured. It becomes part of our family. But the loss of a pet is still less than the loss of a loved one. When they die, we are separated from them for a time. Sometimes it is a long time while we struggle here on earth.
But we should not really speak of a Christian dying. The Christian falls asleep in Christ and will one day wake up to eternal life. On the other hand, those who are not Christian are dead even while they live. They will rise from the dead only to die eternal death in hell. But those of us who wait for Christ's return will pass from this world into eternal life without our bodies tasting the sleep of death. We will join those who have gone before us and we will celebrate the victory together. Our Savior is coming back to earth. May there be joy and expectation in your heart as you wait for your Lord's arrival. Amen.
Prayer: Dear heavenly father, thank You for the joy and hope that You give us in Jesus. Help us to have joy in this life, even when we are sad. Help our joy and hope to spill over to other people so that they too may eagerly wait for Jesus' return. We ask this in Jesus name, amen.