Sadly, my youngest brother passed away this weekend after an almost year long battle with cancer. It has been a sad few days for my family as we mourn the loss of a loved one. And while it is a sad time when people we know leave this life, it just makes the thought of going to heaven much brighter, because now we not only get to see Jesus, we have loved ones waiting for us on the other side.
Over the past many hours, between tears, I’ve thought of the verses in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “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.” As my heart aches at the loss of my brother in this life, I thought of how terrible it must be for those who do not know Jesus Christ to lose someone dear to them – they have no hope of seeing them again, but we have that awesome and amazing promise that one day we will see our fellow believers and family members when we also get to those gates of heaven.
In 1905, Isaiah Martin penned the words to the song entitled Eastern Gate (speaking of the Eastern Gate of Heaven). The words go like this,
I will meet you in the morning,
Just inside the Eastern Gate;
Then be ready, faithful pilgrim,
Lest with you it be too late.
Oh, the joys of that glad meeting
With the saints who for us wait!
What a blessed, happy meeting
Just inside the Eastern Gate!
I will meet you, I will meet you
Just inside the Eastern Gate over there;
I will meet you, I will meet you,
I will meet you in the morning over there.
This life on earth seems awful long to us sometimes, other times it seems to literally fly past. But one day all who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Saviour will meet again inside the gates of heaven. What a blessed and joyful family reunion that will be!! Yes, sadly – we face trials and tribulations during this life, and losing a loved one is certainly difficult, but that joy of knowing my brother is now waiting for us in heaven brings a smile through the tears, and I know God is still in control.
I look forward most of all to seeing Jesus in heaven, but I also greatly look forward to seeing those loved ones who have gone on before me. What a day that will be!
That’s why is SO IMPORTANT to make certain our family members and loved ones have a true relationship with Jesus Christ, so that one day – there will be that happy reunion with them!