Daily Devotional for Saturday, April 4

The Two Places

“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom,” Luke 16:22, 23.

In Indonesia, funerals and burial ceremonies are very different depending on one’s religion. For Muslims, burial is quick, usually the day of the death if it is before sundown. A quick gathering takes place at the graveside. Christians celebrate their loved one’s life with a wake that lasts several days. All day for three to four days, friends stop in to visit and eat, and each night, the family hosts a worship service in their home. Usually one month later, they host another night of worship that allows their friends and church family to encourage them and help them through their grieving. On the year anniversary, another worship service is held to reflect on God’s goodness and comfort through the year of grieving. God is the giver of life, and His faithfulness is celebrated in the death of His saints.

Our house in town was on a busy road. There was a cemetery at the top of the road. Almost daily, we heard the sounds of a funeral procession. Muslim families would fly a white flag on the lead vehicle, and Christians would fly a black one. Our boys were young at the time, but they knew what each flag meant. Our oldest would look out the window and say, “Oh how sad, Mom. It’s a white flag.” Or he would say, “Look, Mom! A black flag! That person knew Jesus!”

In this life, the rich man in Luke 16 rejected God. When he died, he was buried. Lazarus, the beggar in this life, knew God. When he died, he was ushered into Heaven by angels. He received comfort and peace. The rich man received torment.

THOUGHT

In death, what will you receive? Will people say, “Oh how sad,” or “That person knew Jesus?” What about the people around you?

Kelli Reynolds