Absent From The Body, Present With The Lord

-August 17, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

(2 Corinthians 5:8).

On Saturday afternoon, the Lord called our dear brother Bill Murray home to glory. He is now rejoicing in the presence of our Savior. I miss him terribly and look forward to seeing him in heaven along with all the saints who preceded us to glory.

There are two key words in today’s verse: absent and present. Both are very important for our loved ones and for us in the future.

Absent from the body – Right now our brother Bill is absent from the body. His body was weak, his health issues depleted him of strength. When we close our eyes and take our last breath, we leave the body and this world behind to go immediately to heaven.

Paul lived as he died for the Lord Jesus Christ. He wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). This was also one of Bill’s favorite verses. Only a believer in Christ can say, “…to die is gain.” Only Christians really go to a better place.

Present with the Lord – We won’t know just how glorious heaven is until we get there. Whether we are raptured or we walk through the shadow of death, we will be wonderfully transported to glory.

The thing about heaven is to be present with the Lord and see Him face to face in all of His glory. He has gone to prepare a place for us and will come again to take us home to be with Him. Earth is not our home, for our stay here on earth is at best brief and temporary.

Let rejoice that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Even so there is grief and tears now, one day we will be all together forever. Have a blessed Lord’s Day. Stay safe and healthy.

Our worse day in heaven (not that there are bad days in heaven) is better than our best day on earth.

Dean