Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and other special days to remember—these days and their memories bring grief to those who have shared them with loved ones who have passed away, especially if their passing is around or on one of these days.
The grief is all the greater if the one now passed never knew the Lord. In such a situation, we know that, as biting as the grief may be, the Son of God came from heaven, suffered for our sins on the cross, and was raised so that we by faith in Him might be with Him forever. After His coming, God Himself “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4 ESV). For those of us who know the Lord, there is at least the hope that our suffering will one day end.
When we grieve for believers who have gone to be with the Lord, we are encouraged that their absence “from the body” means that they are “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8 ESV). We are also encouraged that we do “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” (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 ESV). When Christ comes again, “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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 ESV). We are to “encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18 ESV).
Suffering will be no more. We will be reunited with the dead in Christ who are now more alive than they have ever been before. Right now, these believers are in the presence of Christ, anticipating with us when He will call us all to Himself, reuniting us to be with Him forever.
These are words of hope for any time when you grieve for those who have passed away, and especially during those special times that you once shared with these special people. If you have lost a spouse, parent, child, relative, or friend, may the Lord give you comfort today from these encouraging truths.