This year, my beautiful mother-in-law, Selah, will spend her first Christmas with the King of Kings. I cannot imagine how amazing her first Christmas with Jesus will be.
After she passed, I received the treasure of her Bible. During the 32 years I knew her, the Amplified Bible was her favorite translation. Finding 2 Corinthians 5 in that translation today made me think about what this Christmas will be like for her.
Scripture compares our earthly bodies to tents and tells us about the eternal home God has prepared for us.
“For we know that if the earthly tent—our physical body—which is our house is torn down through death, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our immortal, eternal, celestial dwelling, so that by putting it on we will not be found naked.” 2 Corinthians 5:1–3 AMP
Swallowed Up by Life
The older I get—especially after cancer, chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery—the more I relate to verse 4. Our bodies become tired, and that exhaustion can weigh heavily on our thoughts and emotions.
I do not want to be bodiless or die, but I am thankful for the hope of a future beyond this life.
My mother-in-law no longer experiences the pain and fatigue she endured. I suffer from some of the same conditions, and I am nowhere close to wanting to die to be free from them. However, when I think of Selah, I find comfort in knowing that she is free and at home with the Lord.
Her pain and anguish have been “swallowed up by life.” She is at peace, spending her first Christmas with loved ones in heaven and resting in the loving presence of her mighty Creator.
“For while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened—often weighed down, oppressed—not that we want to be unclothed, separated by death from the body, but to be clothed, so that what is mortal—the body—will be swallowed up by life after the resurrection.” 2 Corinthians 5:4 AMP
Good Courage and Confident Hope
The longer we spend time with God in an active relationship, the stronger this eternal, spiritual hope grows within us.
When I was fighting for my life during cancer treatment, no matter how terrible I felt, there was an untouchable, ever-present hope within me. That hope gave me courage.
Even now, when I face difficult and seemingly hopeless circumstances, I have that “blessed assurance,” as the old hymn says. The Holy Spirit is a foretaste and down payment on the future promise that my mother-in-law, Selah, now enjoys in the Lord’s presence.
“Now He who has made us and prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Holy Spirit as a pledge—a guarantee, a down payment on the fulfillment of His promise. So then, being always filled with good courage and confident hope, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—” 2 Corinthians 5:5–6 AMP
That Faith and Hope
Through the Holy Spirit, we can have the “good courage and confident hope” described in 2 Corinthians. This is what faith gives us during our trials—something nothing on earth can provide.
Through faith, we receive a “foretaste of glory divine,” as the hymn “Blessed Assurance” says.
As we remember loved ones who have passed, let us also consider the comfort and joy they experience in the Lord’s presence. They now live in the fullness of the faith and hope that carry us through the hardest seasons of life.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight—living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises. We are, as I was saying, of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:7–8 AMP
In Our Sorrow
If you are feeling the pain of losing someone you love, God is very close to you. He knows your pain intimately and wants to comfort you.
Grief and hope can exist together. We can deeply miss our loved ones while finding peace in the promise that those who belong to Christ are at home with Him.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18 ESV
Prayer
God, thank You for the life of Selah and for the love, faith, and memories she left with us. Although we miss her deeply, we are comforted by knowing that she is at home with You.
Please draw near to everyone grieving the loss of someone they love this Christmas. Hold their broken hearts, comfort them in their sorrow, and strengthen their hope in Your eternal promises.
Thank You that death does not have the final word. Help us walk by faith until the day we are together with You.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Disclaimer
This blog is intended for spiritual encouragement and general educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical, mental health, or grief-counseling advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
If grief is interfering with your daily life or you are experiencing depression, trauma, or thoughts of harming yourself, please seek help from an appropriately licensed professional. If you are in immediate danger or experiencing a crisis, contact emergency services or a crisis support service in your area.
