Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … .Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from the group Hillsong singing a contemporary version the old hymn … It Is Well With My Soul … poignantly singing how we, as Christians, can rest in peace knowing that a departed loved one is with Christ forever.
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Highlight Verse[s]: 2Samuel 1:23 [NKJV] … 23 “Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.
… David honors his dear friend and his father in song.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 2Samuel 1:17-27 [NKJV] …USE THIS LINK …
… David’s Song laments the loss of his dear friend, Jonathan, and honors Jonathan’s father, King Saul.
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Reference Passage : … John 3:16 [NKJV] … 16 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.
… So if we know that a deceased loved one believed in Christ, we can know that he/she has everlasting life.
Reference Passage : … Romans 10:13 [NKJV] … 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
... Knowing a dear family member or friend is a fellow Christian takes the tears of loss to a celebration of them being with the LORD.
Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 5:8 [NKJV] … 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
… When a fellow Christian dies, the knowledge and belief in this truth gives great comfort from the grief of the loss.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Tim Gustafson, used a personal story of the passing of a Christian friend to illustrate that we may grieve the loss of a fellow believer but we can celebrate his/her home-going to be with Christ forever. The ODB author wrote: After serving his country for two decades as a helicopter pilot [see photo], James returned home to serve his community as a teacher. But he missed helicopters, so he took a job flying medical evacuations for a local hospital. He flew until late in his life.
Now it was time to say goodbye to him. As friends, family, and uniformed co-workers stood vigil at the cemetery, a colleague called in one last mission over the radio. Soon the distinctive sound of rotors beating the air could be heard. A helicopter circled over the memorial garden, hovered briefly to pay its respects, then headed back to the hospital. Not even the military personnel who were present could hold back the tears.
It is highly likely that any fellow Christian reading here has experienced the loss of a dear/close friend or family member, just as King David did when his covenant buddy, Jonathan lost his life. We, of course, will grieve, as did David, the loss of a loved one. However, when we know the reality and truth of their abiding relationship with Christ, as a born-again believer, like King David, we can sing a song of celebration (see highlight passage) knowing that our loved one will be with God forever (see reference scriptures above).
Today is Memorial Day, … where we can grieve the loss of loved ones who’ve served their country, maybe even giving their all. But for those who knew Christ as Savior/Lord, we can celebrate knowing that to be absent from this life is to be present with the LORD for eternity.
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for the sacrifice of those who died that we might be free.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … I join other Christians today celebrating the love/peace, beyond understanding, of those who loved You and died to protect the freedoms we enjoy in this life. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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