Mother settled on the couch for her morning break. Little Carla grabbed her dolly and climbed up on the couch beside her, hoping for a story or just a cozy chat. Carla especially loved to talk about the Lord Jesus and that He would be coming soon. When she was about four years old, she had come to Jesus to have her sins washed away, and in her fresh, young faith she was so happy with the wonderful promises spoken by our Lord Jesus Himself.
“Mommy,” she asked with wonder in her eyes, “is the Lord Jesus really going to come and take us up to heaven?”
“Why, yes,” her mother answered. “In John 14:33And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3) Jesus said, ‘I will come again, and receive you unto Myself.’ Then He told the Apostle Paul to write in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-1716For 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: 17Then 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. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17) just how He will do it. We know He always keeps His promises.”
“But, Mommy,” she questioned anxiously, “are you sure that every single one in our family will go up? And . . . and . . . you won’t have to get to be a grandma and die first, will you?”
“Now, honey, one question at a time! Yes, Mommy feels sure that each one in our family has come to the Lord Jesus, one by one, just as you did. They asked Him, just as you did, to wash their sins away, because only Jesus’ precious blood can take away sins forever. ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin’ (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). You don’t need to worry that Mommy will have to get old and die first. We all expect His coming to be very, very soon.”
Satisfied, Carla enjoyed a few more moments of thought. Then with some excitement she exclaimed, “Oh my, Mommy! The Lord Jesus must have really BIG hands!”
“Big hands? Yes He does, Carla! But one hand is all that He needs. It tell us in Deuteronomy 33:33Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words. (Deuteronomy 33:3), ‘All His saints are in Thy hand.’ And Jesus tells us in John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28) that no one could ever pluck one of His children (sheep) out of His hand. So you see, when we’re already in His hand, He will just lift us right up safely to heaven. Just think of His dear hands, Carla. He will always have those scars from the cruel nails they hammered into them that day when He took our place, suffering for our sins. He uses them now too - lifts them up to God - when Satan accuses us of being naughty. Lifting up His hands, He says, There is no accusing this one, because his sins have all been washed away by My precious blood.”
Are you safe in those BIG, strong hands that will never let you go and will take you up to heaven one happy day soon?
ML-07/25/2004