Daily Scripture
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Daily Devotion
We live in a world today where everyone is constantly sharing their version of truth. We hear things like, “This is MY truth. I need to share MY truth.” These “truths” that people share are often attached to their feelings, choices, and emotions. And because we are human, our feelings, choices, and emotions can so easily be attached to our sins. Who are we to decide what is true? How is it that there can be more than one version of the truth that seems to validate the lives of each person? The thing is, there isn’t. There is only one truth.
In verse 14 we see the one and only truth, the Gospel. Jesus died and rose again. And he is coming back for those who follow him. That is truth. That is the only truth. That is “my truth” and it should be yours as well. When we become rooted in this, the things of the world around us seem so small in comparison. When we know the truth, we can easily discern what is not true.
In verse 13 we see “those who are asleep” and we hear that they grieve and have no hope. Those who are asleep are unaware; they are in the dark just like when we are physically asleep and are not aware of the world around us. They have no hope because they do not know the truth. They grieve because they have no hope for a future beyond their earthly death. Can you imagine spending your life in a state of unawareness of the truth? Can you imagine living each day with no hope and in a state of grief?
As followers of Christ, we are aware of the truth. We are awake. The truth is light. When Christ comes, we will join Him. We will not grieve, because we have hope of a future with Christ. As a church that knows the truth, we should be sharing this truth with others. Wouldn’t we want others to move from hopelessness to hope? From darkness to light? From grief to joy?
In the last few verses when Christ returns, those who are dead in Christ will rise to join him followed by those who are still alive and are aware of the truth of Christ. But what about those who are asleep? Those who are unaware of the truth and without hope? They remain. As a church who knows the truth, our hearts should ache for those in our community who are without the truth and without hope. We should grieve for them. We should be sharing the truth of Christ each day in the way that we live our lives. Christ commands us to share the good news, the truth, with others. The truth is what builds the kingdom of God. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if the streets and communities around every follower of Christ were left empty when Christ returned, all because we shared the truth?
Jessica Kelley, Belmont Young Adult