READING: Ezekiel 46-48, John 16
As I write this devotion, I grieve for the family of a young boy who drowned this past week during a storm in our area. I cannot imagine the depth of that grief, and it’s a struggle to know even how to pray for this family. I’ve learned, though, that the young boy chose to follow Christ a couple of years ago – and that truth makes all the difference for a grieving family. Tragedy is filled with genuine hope when salvation is part of the story.
I think about this truth as I read Jesus’ words to His disciples today: “In a little while, you will no longer see me; again in a little while, you will see me” (John 16:16). The Son of God knew that the cross awaited Him; the Father’s plan of sacrificial atonement would soon be fulfilled. But, the story would not end at that point. The disciples would indeed not see Jesus for a little while, but He would return in resurrection power three days later. They would, in fact, see Him again.
“In a little while” doesn’t always mean just a few days when our friends and loved ones pass away and we await to see them again. The timing may be years and decades before the Lord calls us home, too—but the delay won’t matter to us when we see Him and those we love. It will surely seem like just “a little while” – but “a little while” means nothing in eternity.
PRAYER: “God, thank You for the promise of resurrection in today’s reading.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Daniel 1-3, Psalm 88, John 17