THE COMFORT OF HOPE

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have NO HOPE” – 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His return gives Believers the COMFORT of HOPE: “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have NO HOPE” (1The.4:13). Verse 18 says, “Therefore COMFORT one another with these words”! Following Paul’s first epistle centering on the Lord’s return, the Thessalonian Christians wondered how long they had to wait. They sent a letter to Paul expressing sorrow about those who died and didn’t witness the Lord’s second coming. Paul replied, reminding them that the Lord’s resurrection guarantees our glorious future. He gave them the Gift of Hope and the confidence of new life.

Like the early believers, Christians are not immune from the grief that many endings cause us to feel; the death of loved ones and the loneliness of life without their presence; and what might have been if dreams were not aborted by sudden departures. Yet, we are reminded not to grieve like those who have no hope. Believers have hope – Hope that’s based on Christ’s Resurrection, which assures our own resurrection! We know Jesus died and rose again. We know He is coming again and all things will be made new. We know how the story of Scripture ends, how Christ has been victorious, how the Power of His Resurrection enables us to live for Him every day, and how our own Story will ultimately end – in Glory!

Grieving is part of life. It is false optimist to assume that one will never grieve. God ‘wired’ us to weep when the occasion calls for it: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: … A TIME to WEEP, and a time to laugh; a TIME to MOURN, and a time to dance” (Ecc.3: 1, 4). Ecclesiastes 7:2,4 say, “Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart…The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” What God assures us however, is that: “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psa.30:5). For the believer, weeping will always bow to Joy!

David had his seasons of grief, but he testified on a joyful note: “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my slackcloth and clothed me with gladness” (Psa.30:11). No one will remain here forever. Times of departure, and seasons of separation will come. But the Holy Spirit is here, “to comfort those who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified” (Isa.61:2b-3). Paul did not write “do not grieve.” Rather, we’re reminded not to grieve with hopelessness.

As Believers in Christ, Hope gives us a living perspective to death. We know that death does not have the last word, and that it cannot separate us from our Saviour’s love (Rom.8:38-39). Through it all, there is Hope for us who believe: “For You are MY HOPE, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth” (Psa.71:5). God assured Israel, “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb: even to your old age, I am He, and even to grey hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Isa.46: 3-4).

The Lord who kept us in the womb and upheld us from birth will bear us to old age and grey hair! Ours is to never let go of our Hope in Him!