By Brent Smith [Brent is the preaching minister of the Trenton Church of Christ in Trenton, Tennessee.]
A faithful Christian man serves his country in the military and comes back from combat without his legs and his eyesight. He struggles for the next 50 years until his body finally wears out. Then he goes home to be with the Lord. In the resurrection he will receive a new body that is immortal and incorruptible (1 Cor. 15.54).
A Christian woman with four lovely children is married to a man who “just doesn’t love her anymore.” He leaves her for a younger girl. The wife is left to mend a broken heart and to hold together a broken home. Perhaps she will eventually find a man who respects her faith and character. However, she will experience many more heartaches in this life, for such is life (Job 14.1). In time, she will go the way of all the earth. The heavenly Father will meet her, wipe away every tear, and take away all sorrow (Rev. 21.4).
A child is mercilessly ripped apart in the womb without any anesthesia. He will never know a mother’s tender care, go to school, fall in love, get married, or have children of his own. But this child and all other innocents will forever belong to the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 19.14).
A young Christian couple is plagued by illness and disability. Neither spouse is able to keep meaningful employment or avoid lifelong medical expenses. Like Lazarus they must beg to get by. In their lifetime they have some happy moments, but the struggle to survive is sometimes overwhelming. Until death they are faithful to God (Rev. 2.10)–and then victory! Angels escort them to Abraham’s bosom, to paradise (Luke 16.22).
However much we suffer in this life and for whatever length of time, this is the only Hell that faithful Christians will ever know. Then we will forever be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4.17).
“Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4.18).