December 17

Nearest and Dearest Fellowship

After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. — 1 Thess 4:17 BSB

While we are here on earth, the Lord is with us; and when we leave this world, we will be with Him. There is no separation between the believer and their Savior. They are one, and they will always be one. Jesus cannot be without His people, just as a head cannot be without its body. Whether we are caught up in the air, resting in paradise, or living here on earth, we are always with Jesus—and nothing can separate us from Him.

What a joy this is! Our greatest honor, rest, comfort, and delight is being with the Lord. We cannot imagine anything greater than this divine companionship. Through holy fellowship, we share in His sufferings, rejection, and trials, and because of this, we will also share in His glory. Soon, we will be with Him in His rest, in His reign, in His expectation, and in His victory. We will share in everything that belongs to Him.

O my Lord, if I am to be with You forever, my destiny is beyond compare. I won’t envy an archangel, for to be with You forever is my idea of heaven at its best. It’s not the golden harps, the unfading crowns, or the unclouded light that excites me—it’s Jesus Himself, and being with Him forever in the closest, most intimate fellowship.