GOD PROTECTS AND PROVIDES

Another memory of my early childhood took place when I was somewhere between three and five years old. My sister and I live with our grandmother in a small house in Theo, Mississippi. We didn’t have running water, but God had put a spring in the woods behind the house. I don’t remember me and my sister going there many times, though. It was a good distance from the house and down a steep hill. 

I remember a man in an old green car bringing us water in glass orange juice jugs. His name was Jimbo. We helped our grandmother carry those jugs of water, that God had provided for us, into the house, and into the kitchen, where she put them on the counter, beside the sink. 

At some point, we got a water faucet outside, by the front porch. Then we didn’t have to carry water from the spring or have someone else bring us water. We were living the life then. It reminds me of the time God made water come out of a rock, to provide for his people in the wilderness.

One day I went to get some water from the faucet and saw a spider hanging there. When it saw me it quickly climbed up its web and went inside the faucet. I had my own “Itsy, Bitsy Spider.” At least that’s what I thought at the time. I was quite a bit older before I realized that a water spout and a faucet were two different things.

I remember a lot that happened while we lived there, in that little house in Theo. I remember my Aunt and uncle, and cousins coming to visit. Our cousins were older than us, but they would always make a mess in our kitchen, and leave without cleaning it up. After they would leave, we would help our grandmother clean up, and get the place back like it was before they came. We loved our home that God had provided for us.

One time, while our uncle and his family were visiting, my sister ran into his open car door and cut the corner of her eye. She did the same thing with our dad’s car door. I don’t remember which one happened first, but she ended up with almost identical scars on both eyes. She was blessed that her eyes were not badly damaged.

My grandmother kept food beside the bed for us in case we woke up hungry, and I remember waking up and eating in bed. I never remember going hungry. God has always provided food for us as far back as I can remember. 

Our neighbor would get drunk some nights and would be mean to his wife, and son. I remember waking up on more than one occasion and seeing them sitting in our living room in the middle of the night. God provided a safe place for them while that man was drunk.

Another time, a man was mowing our yard, and my grandmother was outside doing something. The mower hit a wire clothes hanger and flung it right into her leg. It made a big bloody mess. She came in with the wire sticking out of her leg, and if I remember correctly, she had to get some pliers to pull it out. She bled like a stuck hog, but thankfully, it didn’t do any real damage.

A few years before that, when my sister was two years old, she had a bad accident. It was winter, and we had a wood heater. Somehow she fell over on it, and just laid there screaming, with her head touching the heater, for what seemed like forever. I don’t even think she went to the doctor, though. They just put something in a tube on it and fixed her right up. To this day, though, there is a spot on my sister’s head where no hair will grow, but thankfully, it’s only about the size of a quarter, and her other hair covers it. 

We were in the garden one day, and my aunt screamed, grabbed me, and pulled me back. She saw the snake just before I stepped on it. I could have been bitten, but thank God I wasn’t.

Another time, when I was five years old, I was on the front porch, and a hornet stung me right between the eyes. I was allergic to bee stings, and I started swelling fast. There was a house church in our neighborhood, and they happened to be having service. My grandmother, and my mother, took me there for prayer. I remember everybody praying, and all the while, my eyes were swelling tighter, and tighter, until I couldn’t see anymore. I must have passed out because that’s the last I remember about that. 

For years, I thought God didn’t answer their prayer, but he did. They were praying for me to be okay, and not die. I did tell you I was allergic to bee stings, didn’t I? As a matter of fact, I was stung several more times over the years, and now I’m barely allergic at all. I guess my body has built up an immunity to the toxin. God knows what he’s doing. We can trust him, and as we look back at our past, we can see many times when God took care of us, protected us, and even though we may have suffered pain, he often saved us from something much worse.

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MY FIRST CAR

My first car was a slightly used, green, Ford. I don’t think I ever knew what year, or exactly what kind it was. I was just so happy to be getting a car of my own, I don’t even think I asked. I got it from my dad when I was sixteen years old. He and my mom were separated, and he asked me to come to live with him. So I did. He got me a job where he worked, and we got to know each other a little better.

I remember him giving me the keys, along with a speech. I don’t recall what he said, other than something about keeping a check on the oil. I was too excited to pay much attention, and besides, I knew how to drive a car. I had been driving my cousins’ cars for some time. I didn’t think I needed any pointers. It felt so good to have my own car. Now I could go anywhere I wanted, any time I wanted. Freedom at last!

I don’t remember what I said, but I’m sure it wasn’t much more than okay. I wanted to get on the road as soon as possible and get my new adventure started, but I didn’t get far until trouble found me. The oil light came on just a few miles down the road, and that could only mean one thing. The car had to be low on oil. I stopped at the first store I came to. I got a quart of oil and poured it into the engine. I was back on the road in no time, headed to my grandma’s house.

Before I even got to her house, the oil light came on again. So I stopped at another store to get another quart of oil. I was thinking to myself, “I’ve bought an oil drinker.” So, instead of just getting one quart, I bought several, just in case that light came on again when I wasn’t near a store. I put another quart into the engine and took off again. I finally made it to my grandmother’s and visited for a while. Then I was back on the road again.

That light came on several times that day, and I kept pouring oil in and driving, driving, driving. I went to see my cousins, and friends for a while, and I ended up at my other grandmother’s house because she lived close to dad. When I started to leave from there, the car would not start. I tried everything I knew, which wasn’t much, but still, it just wouldn’t start. When the battery was finally drained, and there was no chance of getting it started without help, I walked back to dad’s house and told him the news.

He went and got the car later, and had it running in a couple of days. It turns out that the car wasn’t leaking oil like I thought it was. The problem was the oil light. It would come on sometimes, and stay on until the car was turned off. When it was started back up, it would be off for a while, then come back on later. The car didn’t need any more oil, but I was putting a quart in every time the light came on. Daddy drained the oil out and let me know I had put over a gallon too much in that engine. It had overflowed, and got into the starter, and ruined it. That’s why it wouldn’t start.

Ugghhh! I felt so stupid. My first car and I only got to drive it around for a few hours before I ruined it. I can just hear me now saying to myself, “Why does this always happen to me?” Well, for one thing, I didn’t listen when my dad was trying to tell me about the car, and the oil light. I thought I knew all I needed to know. I found out I didn’t know all I thought I did.

Over the years, I’ve also gotten in trouble several times by not listening to my heavenly Father. How about you? Many of us think we know all we need to know at times, but we need to remember this old phrase, “Father Knows Best.” He has given us clear instructions in his word, the Holy Bible, and he is just a prayer away at all times. He loves us and wants what’s best for us. So, listen closely to what he has to say every day. It will save you a lot of grief later.

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I WANT TO BE CLOSE TO GOD, BUT...

Over the years, I’ve talked to many people who, at some time in their lives, have accepted Jesus as their savior. Many of them struggle every day to be good people. Many have given up because they have lost that battle. They tell me they want to be close to God, but they just don’t seem to be able to reach that goal. I know what they’re going through because I’ve been there myself.

Living a Christian life in this day and age can be challenging. Many times we lose track of what’s important before we realize it. It’s so easy to wake up one morning and realize you’re a million miles away from God. Well, there’s a reason for that. “If You’re No Longer Close To God, Guess Who Moved.” I’m sure you’ve heard that one. It’s true. If we’re not close to God, it’s our fault. There are many things to distract us, and too often, we allow other things to take priority over God. We don’t mean to, but it happens.

When we come to Jesus we’re so excited to know we’re saved. It’s so good to be free from the guilt and shame that our past life of sin put on us. Then the newness wears off and the excitement level drops, and many times we forget that we have been made into a new creature. Satan reminds us of our past, and sometimes we wonder if we're really saved. Many ask themselves, “Did God really save me?” If one reaches this point, it’s a sure bet that they haven’t been spending enough time with Jesus, in prayer, and in Bible study. Believe it or not, this makes a big difference in a person, and others around us can see the difference in us when we spend time with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

We have to be intentional about our relationship with the Lord, just like any other relationship. If you aren’t close enough to God that you can hear and know his voice when he speaks, then try these few steps; Pray, Read and Study the Bible, and Avoid Evil things that will lead you away from God.

PRAY – Talk to Jesus and listen for him to talk to you. It may not be an audible voice every time, but sometimes it will. Talk with him all the time, no matter where you are or what time it is. Stay in constant communication with him. Talking to Jesus is the first and most important step to getting back on the right track. Return to your first love (Revelation 2:4-5). Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Pray more for others than for yourself, but remember, prayer is the first step to getting closer to God.

BIBLE READING – Get out your Bible and read it. Read it every day. Job said, “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Reading the bible helps us to get to know Jesus better. The better we know him the easier it is to trust him, and that draws us closer to him. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more like him we become. We actually become less sinful. We see more clearly. Many of the things that were once acceptable to us, we now see their true nature and reject them. The opposite is also true. The less time we spend with Jesus, the more sinful we become and evil is easier for us to accept. So, fill your mind with God’s word.

BIBLE STUDY – Studying the Bible is comparing scripture with scripture. We take everything the whole Bible says about a certain subject and put them all together to get the full picture. Then we know everything that God has said on that subject. We're commanded to study for God’s approval (2 Timothy 2:15) and to be able to tell others about the hope he gives us, whenever someone asks us (1 Peter 3:15). Studying the Bible also helps us to better understand what he expects from us, and we find proof that it is, indeed, the Word of God.

AVOID EVIL – The Bible tells us that Job was a righteous man who loved God and avoided evil (Job 1:1). 1 Thessalonians 5:22, tells us to, “Avoid all forms of evil.” In Psalm 101:3, David said, “I will put no evil thing before my eyes:” We have to protect ourselves from evil things coming into our minds. Whether through the eyes or the ears. What many people don’t understand is, that we can’t live like everybody else, and participate in all the things the world offers, and still stay close to God. People disagree strongly when you tell them that their entertainment is preventing them from being as close to God as they need to be, but today, the majority of movies, TV shows, games, and music are controlled by people with no morals, no family values, and no desire to please God. In fact, many of them don’t even believe in God. At least, that’s what they say.

A person who has been born again, and wants to stay close to God, should not watch any presentation that shows anything the Bible says we shouldn’t participate in. If the Bible says don’t do it, then it’s a sin. If a movie, TV, play, or real-life presents such things, we should avoid those presentations. Sin is often glorified by movies TV, and music, and by watching and listening to it over and over, we become desensitized. Common sense should tell us this is true, but I know this from experience.

It’s not just the things you see, but also the filthy language, with the sexual references and the innuendos. Even the commercials and advertisements are going too far lately. If God’s followers watch movies and television at all, we should only watch programs that are Godly, or at least family-orientated. I’ve even seen several “Christian” films that have cursing in them, which makes no sense at all because the Bible says we shouldn’t use foul language. Many people try to rationalize that fact away and say the only bad words are using God’s name in a derogatory manner. Sad to say, I used to be one of them, until God showed me the truth in his word. Look at what God says about that at this link. What’s Wrong With Using Profanity?

Video games are the same way. Not all are bad, but many are. Not just video games, but board games, and card games as well. We need to be wise in choosing our entertainment. Everything that we see and hear is teaching us, and we need to be careful about what we allow ourselves to learn.

The music we choose to listen to is also a factor in our drawing closer to God. Many people don’t like it when you tell them they’re listening to the wrong music. Not all secular music is bad, but much of it is. Apart from the fact that most music today is engineered to alter people’s minds as well as bodies, the songs are filled with filthy words and immoral messages. They glorify sin and demean those who don’t participate in those sinful acts. Look what Colossians 3:16 says about music.

Colossians 3:16 

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

We should fill ourselves with the word of God in all wisdom, and teach ourselves and others with Christ-centered songs. Whatever the message in a song may be, we learn from it, whether it’s good or bad. Even though Contemporary Christian music is supposed to be Godly, many songs don’t even mention God, and some have no destination from the music of the world. If we want to draw closer to God, we should listen to music that makes us think about him. Songs that uplift God as the Creator. Songs that talk about our duties and responsibilities to him. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all, guard your heart; for out of it are the issues of life.”

In Philippines 4:8, Paul says, “Whatever things are True, Honorable, Just, Pure, Lovely, and of Good Report; Whatever has Virtue, and Praise, meditate on these things.” In verse 9 he said, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things: and the God of peace will be with you.”

That’s what I want. That’s what all those people I’ve talked to over the years wanted, but didn’t know how to get there. If that’s what you want, remember that it takes a little work on our part, as with any relationship. There are many who worship and serve God with all their hearts. They have dedicated their lives to his service, and are very close to him, but there are many who are still struggling with their relationship with God. Try these few things for yourself, and you'll see that they work. Then, share them with others and watch God transform their lives as well.

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LESSONS ON THE JOURNEY - PART 2

Two months ago, Herbert Brown and his family moved from the city of River Port, Mississippi to the quiet peaceful little town of Cedar Creek. It’s the 16th day of January, and everyone is in the living room enjoying the warm fire and some hot cocoa.

Charlotte is preparing lunch for her family, and Herbert is keeping the fire going. Mark, the youngest, is staring at the fire dancing in the fireplace, as daddy puts more wood in.

Billy and Cindy are looking out the window, hoping the snow that the weatherman predicted will come soon, so they may get to go out, and play in it today. With joy in their eyes, they recalled all the fun they had playing in the snow the previous winter in River Port, and how they had made snow cream, snow angels, and built a snowman...

Suddenly, the snow began to fall and they both shout at the same time, “It’s snowing.” With excitement in his voice, Billy asked, “Mom, can we go out, and play in the snow?” “Not right now,” came the reply from Mother. “It’s almost time to eat. Go wash up.”

“Can we go out after we eat?” Cindy asked as she ran from the window. We’ll see,” Mother said. “OK,” Cindy groaned, with disappointment in her voice. Then Mark asked, “Mommy, what does WILSIE mean?” Before Charlotte could answer, Billy spoke up and said, “It means, no.” Neither Herbert nor Charlotte could keep from laughing. “I guess it does seem like that sometimes, but it simply means we’ll have to wait, and see what’s going on later. You may be able to, and you may not. It’s not YES, and it's not NO.” I guess it means the same thing as, maybe.

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HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Sometimes life is rough. Sometimes I don’t feel good at all. I’ve had a bad back for many years, and it affects my whole body. My legs and feet, my arms, hands, and neck as well. I’m almost always in pain. I never get enough sleep. I have bad days and better days, but I never actually feel good. Sometimes I feel like no one cares. I’m not telling this so anyone will feel sorry for me. I don’t want that at all.

It’s three o’clock in the morning and I’m awake. In thinking about my suffering, I often try to remind myself that there is always someone who has it worse than I do. I see so many others suffering in this world, and many of them, most of them are in much worse shape than I am. 

My sister had cancer for several years and was always in pain until she died. My dad had colon cancer and had to have surgery to remove the tumor, and before he recovered from that, he had to have gallbladder surgery. It couldn’t be removed because it was so inflamed it was stuck to the other organs. The doctor closed him up and sent him home with drain tubes coming out of his body. That led to more problems and he suffered for several months before he finally died. Then, my mother suffered for years and finally died from cancer.

My cousin almost died after his wife stabbed him in the heart during an argument. I just heard about a woman who was out drinking with her boyfriend and her twenty-three-year-old son. The young man had been in a fight and was still upset on the way home. For some reason, he opened the car door and got out while they were going down the highway. The car ran over him, and another mother lost her son.

More babies than ever are being born with birth defects. Many are stillborn and there are many miscarriages. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain and suffering those parents are going through. On the other hand, many babies and children are being abused and even killed. Pain is everywhere.

I see people every day suffering from some kind of affliction. I know people who have Diabetes, Heart trouble, Cancer, broken or lost limbs, back problems, Emphysema, COPD, and numerous other problems that are visually noticeable. There are many suffering from things that are not so noticeable, though. Things like depression, anxiety, broken hearts, emotional problems, drug abuse, and physical and mental abuse.

Many are having a hard time making it in this life because of all the physical and emotional problems, but many others are suffering because of the economy. Some don’t even have jobs to take care of their families. Our world is a mess.

Being a Christian, I trust God to help me and my family through this troubled world, with all the problems it brings. Even so, things aren’t always easy, and sometimes I get discouraged. Sometimes I’m not happy with how things are going in my life. Sometimes I wonder if things will ever get better, but I know, no matter what happens, Jesus will be there to help me make it through it. I always have hope.

My point, in laying out all these bad things that happen to people, is this; Even though I have Jesus to help me through all my problems, at times, things still seem unbearable, so I don’t see how people make it through those terrible times without Jesus by their side. I wonder about the ones who don’t believe in God at all. Where do they seek comfort in times of trouble? Many times they look for comfort from drugs and alcohol, which only adds to the problem.

The apostle Paul said, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”(1 Corinthians 15:19). What about those who have no hope in Christ? What about those who have no hope at all? It’s sad to think there are so many in this troubled world, suffering from so many kinds of problems, and they have no hope for the future. No hope that things will get better. I believe that’s the main reason so many people end their lives. They have no hope. Jesus wants us to have hope. The Bible is full of messages of hope. Here are a few verses, that mention hope specifically, to help you with whatever you’re going through.

Romans 12:12  Rejoice in hope, be patient in times of trouble, be constant in prayer.

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former times was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may have much hope.

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GOD SO LOVED

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. (John 3:16)

This has always been one of my favorite bible verses. Here, Jesus tells us how much God truly loves us. GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD. When he says “WORLD” here, he’s referring to the people in the world. He loved us SO. This word SO here means so much. He Loved us so much that HE GAVE… HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. He had a plan to save us, so he GAVE his SON to be our substitute, to come to earth, suffer, and die for our sins.

When Adam sinned, by disobeying God, he died spiritually. He passed that spiritually dead condition down to his children, and to all his descendants. Every person who has ever been born on earth is spiritually dead. This is the first death; Spiritual death. (1 Corinthians 15:22, Ephesians 2:5) 

We are all sinners and sinners sin. Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is Death. Wages are what we earn. It’s our payment. It’s what we deserve. We deserve to die because we are sinners. Since we’re already spiritually dead when we're born, because of Adams's sin, this death we earn by continually sinning is a literal death. Eternal death. For more information on that, read FIRST AND SECOND DEATH, FIRST AND SECOND RESURRECTION.

God doesn’t want us to die. He doesn’t want to give us what we deserve and destroy us. He loves us, and he wants us to live with him for eternity, so he GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON to take our punishment for us. It should have been us on that cross, but instead, Jesus suffered and died in our place. To claim this substitution, all we have to do is accept it and we won’t have to suffer the second death.

God GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON… The Bible teaches that Jesus is God(John 1:1-3). He has always existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1-2, Genesis 11:4,7). All three of them were there in the beginning, and Jesus is called the Son twice in the old testament (Proverbs 30:4, Psalm 2:12). He was not created, as some believe. He was begotten as a human by God when he was placed in the womb of a virgin named Mary, about two thousand years ago (Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:30-35 — John 1:1-2,14, Hebrews 10:5, Psalm 2:7) For more information on that, read ONE GOD.  

He GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT (So that) WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM… Whoever means anyone. No one is left out. WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM… To believe in Jesus takes action. James, the Lord’s brother, said, the devils also believe, and tremble (James 2:19). Just believing he exists is not enough, though. Jesus says you have to believe IN him or ON him. It’s the same thing. That means to trust him. We must allow him to be the Lord and Master of our lives. If you want a mechanic to work on your car, you have to give him the key. Believing involves trust. It also involves obedience. It requires action. It’s simple really. Rom 10:9 says, “if you will confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.”

WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH… Perish means just that, Perish. To die or be killed. To disappear or be destroyed: to cease to exist. (Webster’s Dictionary)

In the Strong’s Concordance, the definition of the Greek word which was translated into the English word PERISH is “to destroy completely.” That’s what will happen to everyone who refuses to accept the free gift of salvation God offers us. Not because he is evil, or vindictive, but because he must destroy sin. Everyone who chooses to hang on to sin will be destroyed along with it. (*)The wages of sin is death, and he loves us so much that he died in our place. He took our punishment so we wouldn’t have to. There was no other way. He has done all he can. Now it’s up to each individual to accept his substitute or reject it.

BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. In this verse, Everlasting means just what it sounds like. Everlasting; lasting forever. The same Greek word translated into the English word “Everlasting” in this verse, is the same word translated into the English word “Eternal” in verse 15. This is an example of the dictionary, built into the King James Bible, which I mentioned in the post called UNDERSTANDING BIBLE TRUTH. 

The Father loves us so much that he sent his only Son from heaven, down to this earth to suffer and die in our place so every one of us could have the opportunity to live with him for eternity. Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to do it. That’s love. It’s a love that humans can’t fully grasp, but knowing that he has that kind of love for us should make us love him back. In fact, in 1 John 4:9, John says that is why we love him. “Because he loved us first.”  That’s so amazing and life is so short. We must live one day at a time, but we need to prepare for the future as well. Not just our immediate future, but our eternal future. Our destination is in our hands. No one can choose for anyone else. The choice is ours alone. If you haven’t made it yet, I encourage you to do it today. Don’t put it off. Tomorrow may be too late.

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GOING HOME

I’ve always found it interesting that one thing can remind us of another so much that it makes us say, Wow! That happens to me quite often. I was studying the Bible a while back and came to the story where the people of God were taken by force from their home and relocated to Babylon. Immediately I was reminded of a time in my life when I was taken by force from my home and relocated to another place.

I was eight years old when two of my sisters and I were taken from our home and put into foster care. Two of us were placed with the same family, while our youngest sister, at the time, was placed with another family on the other side of town from us. When we were older, I found out that we were there for less than two months, but back then, it had felt like an eternity.

Like the captives of King Nebuchadnezzar, we were not happy to be torn away from all we had ever known, moved to a place where we had never been, and where we knew no one.

Like those Jews, we did enjoy some freedoms, but things weren’t all roses. Everything was so different there. We were in another town. We were with people we didn’t know, and we were sent to a different school. We were totally cut off from our family and friends, just like the Children of Israel when they were taken captive.

I know some of those Jews trusted God without any doubts, like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but I can imagine some of them were just as afraid as we were and felt just as helpless as we did. We were so sad. I remember crying at night and calling out to God. I prayed every day and begged Him to rescue us and take us back home.

One afternoon when we got off the school bus at our foster home, a man was waiting there for us. I’ll never forget the joy I felt when he told us he had come to take us home. We grabbed our things as quickly as we could and got in his car. We drove to the other side of town and picked up our sister, then we were on our way.

When we arrived, our grandmother was waiting for us with open arms, and she showered us with hugs and kisses. We were so happy to see her again. We were so glad to be back home.

Our world has been captured by Satan and his forces, and we are his captives. When we recognize there is hope for us to be rescued, we call out to God and he saves us. Not because we’re good, and not because we deserve anything good, but simply because he loves us. God is so good, and I look forward to the day when he comes and takes us to our heavenly home so we can truly be free. He said he would someday. In John 14:2-3, he said,

14:2 There is plenty of room in my Father’s house. If not, I would have told you. I will go and prepare a place for you.
14:3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to myself, so that wherever I am, you may be also.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says,
16 Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and those who are dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who remain alive will be taken up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will be with the Lord forever.

In verse 18, Paul tells us to comfort each other with these words. Jesus is coming back to take us home. That’s something to look forward to. I’m looking forward to that day with great anticipation, and I don’t believe we’ll have to wait much longer. Are you ready? If not, don’t wait. Get ready now. He could return at any time. As the words of the old song say, “In a little while we’re going home.”

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