ODB: Awakened By A Close Friend
August 2, 2011
To see Jesus will be heaven’s greatest joy.
READ: John 14:1-7
Where I am, there you may be also. —John 14:3
A few years ago I had some tests to screen for cancer, and I was nervous about the outcome. My anxiety was magnified as I thought about the fact that while the medical personnel were well-trained and extremely competent, they were also strangers who had no relationship with me.
After awakening from the anesthesia, however, I heard the beautiful sound of my wife’s voice: “It’s great, Honey. They didn’t find anything.” I looked up at her smiling face and was comforted. I needed the assurance of someone who loved me.
A similar assurance lies ahead for all who have trusted Jesus. Believers can be comforted in knowing that when they wake up in heaven, One who loves them greatly—Jesus—will be there.
The Book of Common Prayer expresses this Christian hope: “After my awakening, [my Redeemer] will raise me up; and in my body I shall see God. I myself shall see, and eyes behold Him who is my friend and not a stranger.”
Do you have trouble facing mortality? Jesus promised to be there when we slip from this world into the next. He said, “Where I am [heaven], there you may be also” (John 14:3). What a comfort for believers to know that after death we will be awakened by a close Friend.
— Dennis Fisher
Source: Our Daily Bread
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Indeed, we will be awakened by a close Friend to be with a close Friend. No more separation. By then, everything is laid bare in plain sight. Does having these thoughts about your future generates hope and comfort? Do you find any relevance in your life with these facts? I sure do. Definitely have on my side.