Listen

What we are saying is a message from the Lord: we who are alive and still around at the Lord’s coming definitely won’t go ahead of those who have died. This is because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with the signal of a shout by the head angel and a blast on God’s trumpet. First, those who are dead in Christ will rise. Then, we who are living and still around will be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air. That way we will always be with the Lord. So encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

Think

Paul writes to people who are trying to understand why Jesus has not returned yet. It has been longer than they thought it would be. They are concerned about what will happen to the Christians who have already died. They might be thinking, “The ones who have died thought they would get to see Jesus when he comes back, but now they are gone. If it is not true that they will see him, then maybe all these things I believe are not true.” Paul explains that those who have died will see Jesus, just like those who are alive when he comes.

All these years later, we wonder the same thing. Will Jesus come back? Will we see him? Paul wrote these words so that the Thessalonians might be encouraged in their faith, and we should be encouraged, too. We may not know exactly when Jesus will return or what it will look and sound like, but we can trust that it will happen in God’s good timing, and we will be with Jesus.

Ellen Di Giosia

Question to Ponder:

Do you ever get tired of waiting? Can you imagine what it would have been like for those first Christians as they waited?

Pray

Dear Jesus, encourage me when I am tired of waiting for you to return.

Remind me that there will come a day when I and all those I have loved will be with you again.

Amen.

Go

I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.

Romans 8:38-39