1 Thessalonians 5:10 is very precious! It reads, “Who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.”
It is so precious that the Lord died for us! The infinite and everlasting One became a man for us forever, and He shed His blood! This verse tells us why the Lord died for us— so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him. “To be awake” means that we are still living on earth. The Bible describes the death of believers as sleep, because they will wake up one day. We sleep at night, and wake up in the morning. If we die, we will rise again. Death isn’t scary because it is like sleep. Who will be afraid of going to bed tonight? The Lord desires us to live with Him whether we are alive on earth or asleep. It’s hard for me to say what it means by the death of a believer. Paul said that it is far better to be with Christ. Now the Lord is with us, in our heart. But the day will come when His presence with us will be much deeper. I feel that the death of a believer is to draw near to the Lord, the sweetest. Of course there are other explanations for this. It’s very precious and far better when we are with Christ!
Whether now or in the future, we live with the Lord. His desire for us will last forever. We live with Him now through eternity. Now He is in our heart and we can live very closely with Him. In eternity, He still lives in us the same way. But we will also see Him face to face. In heaven, our greatest enjoyment will still be in our heart. It’d be our great loss if the Lord would not be in us when we are in heaven. Whether now on earth or in the future when we are in our heavenly home, the Lord continues to abide in us. He just yearns to see our face, and He longs to be face to face with us. This is what the Lord desired to bring forth through His death.
Today, the Lord lives in us, closer than any intimate friend or lover. He has the deepest love union with us, and this is a union of life. He is the closest to us throughout the day. No one else can be with us day and night. Today, tomorrow and forever, He lives with us every day. Out of love, He yearns to be the closest to us. His great desire and love dream is said in John 17:24: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am.” The last chapter of the last book in the Bible (Rev. 22) tells us that the Lord is coming soon. He is coming to personally fulfill His love dream.
The life of a believer is to live with the living Lord. He changes us from within and provides for our spirit. From our heart flows the springs of life. Therefore, the condition of our spirit and our relationship with the Lord will affect the outcome of our lives. The Lord in us is the greatest resource, though we shouldn’t describe the Lord as a resource. I only put it this way to help you to understand. In fact, He is the true Beloved with manifold love; He is also our Saviour. He has many relationships with us.
He does not leave us even when we are asleep. So, it’s good to talk to Him before going to bed. While asleep, the Lord still accompanies us and He remains in us. David said, “I awake, and I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:18) It’s so good that when we wake up in the middle of the night, the Lord is still with us. Many of my hymns were written when I awoke from sleep, and there are many other things that I wrote down during these times. The Lord can teach you right when you wake up. David’s experience also confirmed this. He meditated on the Lord in the watches of the night, and his soul was satisfied as with fat and rich food. (Psalm 63:5-6) I remember a recent encounter: I experienced the Lord greatly while I was still lying in bed. It’s so precious that you can greatly experience the Lord whether you are awake, or still in bed. He can teach you anytime. He can give you songs whether you are awake, or barely waking up. I am not a lonely senior!
Heaven has already opened! The Lord has opened a new and living way, and the veil has been torn. The heavenly gate has opened. The living spring and the Holy Spirit have been poured down on us!