"Honour to whom honour is due."

Note to reader: Tomorrow (Aug. 8th, 2019) is the second anniversary of my godly wife's Homegoing. This article is in honor to her!

Our Blessed Companion in the Grave

I came across a truth some years ago in my devotional time with the Lord that has been a real comfort and blessing to me. Especially now that I'm older and closer to my temporary resting place. Some may call it heresy, but I'm comfortable with it. Paul was accused of heresy for "believing all things that are written." I always concern myself first with, "What saith the scripture?," before worrying about, "What meaneth this?"

Although at death the conscious soul of a saint will leave the body and go immediately to be with the Lord, still it leaves a kind of sadness within thinking of your closest companion for a lifetime lying alone in a grave somewhere. And remaining so until that eventful day when the shout from heaven comes to arise. 

But during this indefinite interval, the Lord has shown me, I believe, that Richard Sandlin's body (as well as all believers) will not go into that dark grave alone. Just as the Spirit of God hovered over the original earth while it lie dormant in its watery grave, so He will linger over my (our) grave of dirt. He did promise to dwell with us forever, did He not? 

We are told we're sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. That includes the body, which will be redeemed at Christ's Second Coming. Therefore, He lies patiently with His purchased possession, in the grave, awaiting that Glorious Resurrection Day when He will quicken it, a body like unto Christ's! As to those whose bodies were burned or strewed across the earth, remember, the blessed Spirit of the living God is omnipresent.

As sure as He went with The Son of God to His grave, He will go with a son of God to his. The Holy Scripture bears this all out. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." O, blessed companion of my (our) coffin!

My wife's niece said at her father's funeral, "I know Dad's soul is with the Lord, but I loved that old body!" So does the Holy Spirit, Nancy.