Another funeral – another of our friends laid to his final rest – a time of sadness – a release from the desperation of fighting for life – for the Christian, a time of great joy.

As my life seems to revolve around saying goodbye to old friends lately, I can’t help but wonder when my day will come.  Am I ready?  Will my existence have had any merit in the scheme of things?  We all face this difficult time in life – when we must look at that possibility.  Death is as sure as taxes.  We will all face it at some point.

For those of us who know that this place is just our temporary living quarters, death doesn’t hold the same sting that it does for others.  When we’ve placed all our apples in this basket of living, we can bet that those apples are doomed to the rottenness and finality of decay.  For those who know that life doesn’t end when death comes, we can look forward to our final day with joy.

Still there is a fearfulness connected with death.  What will become of those we leave behind?  Will they have the strength to go on living without us?  Even though we’re guaranteed a place in heaven, we may still wonder.  There may be even the slightest hint of doubt.  We are basing all of this on faith in something that we have no experience with.  We’ve never seen the other side of eternity, yet we have been assured that it exists in the Word of God Himself.

God’s comfort comes to us as He describes heaven in Revelation.  It is a place where death doesn’t exist.  There will be no tears, no pain, no loss.  Everything we need will be provided by the Creator of the Universe.  It’s so much more than a promise.  It’s true.  It’s the best life insurance we can have and it doesn’t cost us a thing.

This is why the Christian can rejoice in the face of death.  This is God’s perfect plan for His people.