Isn’t it funny how you can read the bible several different times and each time see something new?  I think that may have something to do with who you are and what you are going through at that time.  Well recently in the following scriptures one word stuck out to me:

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (KJV)

When I was young people used to joke that in verse 16 “the dead in Christ” was referring to the Baptist, but it’s not!  The portion of scripture that made me start thinking in particularly is verse 17 where it states, “Then we which are alive and remain”.  I know this scripture is really just referring to those that are still alive and “remain” on earth, but what if we looked at this word “remain” a little differently.

What if this word “remain” really meant still living for God?  So this verse would say, “Then we which are alive and still living for God shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Living for God has always been hard, because it calls us to living a life that is opposite of our very nature.  It is easier to just be our natural self, especially when we see all of the evil and hatred around us.  Living for God can cause us to get weary.  Some get so disgruntled with not having what so many others have that they give up hope and fall away from living for God to living for themselves.  That is why living for God takes God Himself helping us, encouraging us, and strengthening us.

Jesus is for sure coming back to call us home.  I pray that you will still be alive and “remain” in Him.  Our struggle is only for a moment compared to eternity of peace, joy and love with the Lord who loves us more than anything.  With the Lord who actually died for us.  When Jesus comes back may He find humans remain!