Thankful

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I challenged myself about a week ago to use these eDevotions as a platform to talk about thankfulness until Thanksgiving Day. Little did I know that I would have to dig deep to fulfill that desire. Just yesterday I wrote, “Dear Christ follower, there are times when thanksgiving is a sacrifice. We say thanks through clenched teeth and chocked back tears.” And today, I’m writing about thankfulness through “choked back tears.” 

Yesterday around Noon, my dear friend, Ernie Liebman went to his eternal reward. I had been with him for about an hour, then went to get a bite to eat. I wasn’t gone that long when I received a call from the family, “Rick, can you come back?” “Sure, I’ll be right there.”

My wife and I left immediately and when we arrived, we got the news that Ernie had passed away just a few minutes before we got there. Our eyes leaked tears. There were hugs and deep-felt sorrow aplenty. 

Earlier that morning, I was sitting by his bedside and I started singing…

When I get to heaven gonna talk with Jesus

When I get to heaven gonna see His face

What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see

When I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace

When we’ve been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, than when we first begun

Today, I’m thankful for heaven! I plan to join Ernie there someday. And you know what else? Everyone who lives there will never have eyes that leak tears!

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away. Revelation 21:4 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)