Death is something every family member has to deal with over time. And although it isn’t easy to get the news of a loved one that has died, we know in our hearts that one day we will all die. As for today, I was at my niece’s funeral who was only 27 when she died. It was sad very to see her open casket and then to see her parents and loved ones grieve. Surely, this vibrant young lady only had the shell of her body left, where her spirit has since left. Where she is now, many people speculated that she would be in heaven, while others were uncertain. As for me, I am not the judge, so I leave where she is now in the hands of God. We know that people who have died and put their trust and faith in Jesus are saved. If this happened with her, then praise God! If not, then we can only learn from what happened and try to move forward in life. And here is the truth, my friends. After we die, our spirits will be separated from our bodies, either going down to hell or up into paradise. Hell is a place of torment, while paradise is where joy resides. I wish that every person could go to paradise and then go before Jesus in judgment and be granted eternal life in heaven, but they must make this decision on their own. And how does a person gain access to heaven? Jesus is the key. Only if He knows the person, and that their sins are forgiven through His blood, are they saved. All this I thought about as I saw her in the casket today. Later on, after the funeral was over, I went to a luncheon with the family.
During the luncheon, I tried to make the most of my time and witness to my two nephews about Jesus. We talked about death and what happens when we die and how we can know if we are genuine in the faith. The key here is if a person knew Jesus from the inside out, not simply on the outside appearance. Jesus looks upon the heart of people and knows who truly love Him with all their heart, mind, and strength. It was at this time that I quoted a portion of what Jesus said in Matthew 7. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23) The key thing here is having Jesus know us, that we may not be sent out from his presence into the lake of fire. This happens when we confess our sins and our need for a Savior. Then, if we are sincere, His blood that was shed for us on the cross covers us and we are made clean. We may fall in life, but this doesn’t stop us from coming back to God and allowing Him to protect us in the future. Endure in your faith and you shall be saved. This means going to paradise when you die, and then later heaven. Is my niece in paradise, I sure wish she was. As for now, all I can do is pray for my family.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, bring peace into the lives of everyone that is affected by the death of my niece. She was so young at the age of 27 and I know that many people right now are still in tears because of what happened. I am also at a loss of what to tell people that are affected, but to lend a shoulder to cry on. It is so hard to see a person we know and love for many years and then hear about them dying without notice. This happened with my beautiful niece. She had so much potential, but it will never be realized now. My heart is aching because of this. Lord, help us remember the good times we had with her while keeping her in our remembrance. I pray that she knew You, is saved, and is now in paradise, but only You know this. You are all-knowing, all-powerful, and just. People go exactly where they need to when they die. You know this for a certainty. Your best wishes for me is what brings peace and joy to my life. Would I like everyone to go to heaven and be saved? Yes, of course. That is why I witnessed Your truths, God, with my two nephews today. It was so amazing to tell them about Your great love for us and the need to give our lives to You in prayer. Only then can we be covered by Your blood and be saved. Lord, help them remember what I spoke about and the prayer we did afterwards. I was amazed to see each one of them pray also. Lord, they are ready to receive You. Lead them safely home. I love You, God. You deserve all the glory and all the praise. I trust in You. Amen.
I had to attend the funeral of my 10 year old nephew who died from Leukemia. His body had gone through such a change that he did not want visitors to see him and also had a closed casket. The family went through a strong grieving period. I grieved even though I knew that we all die but will be together again when we are resurrected and that Jesus had not forgotten my nephew. It seems that no matter how much faith one has it is still hard to face the absence of one’s loved one through the rest of our earthly life. But I think that eventually the promise of Jesus helps us to heal our sorrow.