Goodbyes and Hellos

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading titled Goodbyes and Hellos was written by Bill Crowder. When my brother David suddenly died of cardiac failure, my perspectives on life changed dramatically. Dave was the fourth of seven children, but he was the first of us to pass, and the unexpected nature of that passing gave me much to ponder. It became apparent that as age began to catch up with us, our family's future was going to be marked more by loss than by gain. It was going to be characterized as much by goodbyes as hellos. None of this was a surprise intellectually.

That is just how life works. But this realization was an emotional lightning bolt to the brain. It gave a fresh new significance to every moment life gives us and every opportunity time allows.

And it placed a huge new value on the reality of a future reunion where no goodbyes will ever be needed. This ultimate reality is at the heart of what we find in Revelation chapter 21 verses 3 and 4. God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Though today we may find ourselves experiencing seasons of long goodbyes, our trust in Christ's death and resurrection promises an eternity of hellos.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Revelation chapter 21 verses 1 through 5. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Look, God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new. Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. Let's pray. Father, we thank you that you're the living God who gives everlasting life, and for the comfort we have in knowing that the separation we experience in death is only temporary. Even with the hope we have, seasons of loss are still difficult to endure, so we also pray that you would touch those who are hurting today and give them a special sense of your presence and love. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.