“And so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

This is the passage that describes the event known as the Rapture of the Church. It is the time that the dead in Christ rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air. This is too glorious to adequately describe. In Bible times, the father of the groom arranged the marriage of his son with the family of the bride. The engagement was the period of time in which the bride needed to be ready with very little notice. The father acknowledged that the time of the wedding had come; the son would go get the bride, and bring her back to his father’s house where they would be united in marriage. A great time of celebration would then follow. The verse we read today is the picture of the Lord Jesus coming for His bride, the Church. What a tremendous day for those who know the Lord.

For today: We must be watching and waiting for the Lord Jesus. Perhaps today will be the day we meet Him in the air!