Old Friends And Reunions

I am fairly busy as a musician, and every year, it seems that I am always booked on the weekend when our friend, Walter, has his bluegrass festival that we want to attend. This year, we let the band know well ahead that we were not going to be available on that particular weekend, and they got someone to fill in for me so that we could go to Walter's festival. It was great because it is held where I had lived sixty years ago, and we were reunited with many old friends at the festival. We got to see what is left of the old one-room school that I attended and all the changes that have taken place over the years. We got to play music with old friends and met new ones. On Sunday morning as we were leaving for home and nearing the church that my father pastored years ago, there were cars arriving, so we decided to attend, and we had a reunion with more old friends. It couldn't have been better, with a great service and communion as well.

All this made us think of another reunion day coming in the future. At our age, we have many brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone home to be with the Lord. One day, we'll be going home, too, and there will be a reunion that will never end! It's because of Jesus Christ's resurrection victory over death that we have a confident expectation of a heavenly home. The reason that we can be confident is that the promises in God's Word are true:

John 14:2-3 – [Jesus said,] In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (NKJV)

2 Corinthians 5:8 – We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (NKJV)

1 Peter 1:4 – [You have] an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. (NKJV)

Revelation 21:4 – God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (NKJV)

A Christian's faith is always to be placed in what Christ has done for us: none of us would have a heavenly reunion if it weren't for our Lord! My grandmother experienced this as she lay on her deathbed: she suddenly opened her eyes wide and said, "Dorothy! Jesus!" and went home. Dorothy was her daughter who had died as a small girl. Because of the promises in God's Word, the ones left behind knew that they were witnessing grandmother's glimpse of her reunion just before she left this earth.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You that You have given us Your Word and that Your Word is true. We thank You that because of Your great love in giving Your only Son as a sacrifice for our sins, we have the promise of a heavenly home and reunion. Help us always to be faithful in keeping our hearts toward home and our eyes on Christ and the promises of Your Word. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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