OUR 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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this, we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

You are experiencing your life right now, but in a moment -- in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52) -- you're going to be with the Lord.

No matter what struggles or pain you may be facing, Paul says that as Christians who have put our faith in Jesus Christ, we have hope, and that hope is the promise of heaven.

We will be face to face with God in His presence. 2 Corinthians 5:8 says that when we're absent from the body, we're present with the Lord.

You see, you are more than just bones and decaying flesh; you are body, soul, and spirit -- and your body is temporal. When you die, or when the Lord "descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God" to return for His church (1 Thessalonians 4:16), you will leave the body and be given a new body. "And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Wow, I can see my mom up there, dancing already. She's got a new body; she's happy, she's a kid. I can see my nephew, Aaron, who died as an infant; just a little guy, probably up there running and jumping and talking. But he's got a new body, and he's just perfect before Jesus Christ.

Knowing that the Lord is coming back, knowing that we're going to see all those people again, and knowing that this body is temporal, we have hope!

When problems arise, when we face temptations, when we feel overwhelmed -- we can "run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Today, we can live in the hope of joining Him. We can persevere because He has given us hope.

To live with hope is to live with expectancy and anticipation. It means living with confidence. And it means living with faith.

Not faith or confidence in ourselves, but in the One who has given us hope, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dig deeply into what the Apostle Paul is saying here. Trust in the Lord that He's coming back.

"Comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

And remember that our true comfort is just around the corner: being in the presence of the Lord and perfect fellowship with all the saints.

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).