Before _____ passed away - I had the honor of visiting with him - and sharing communion. And as I was reflecting back on that time together - two passages have stuck in my mind. One is Psalm 23 - which we read this morning - and _____ often recited during these last months. Especially these words from Psalm 23, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.”

What a picture. God’s guidance and presence through the worst of life - even death. We are never alone - God is always with us - walking right beside us - guiding us - keeping us - protecting us.

The second passage I’ve been thinking about is from Genesis - verses that talk about a man named Enoch. We really don’t know a whole lot about Enoch except what’s in these few verses.

Genesis 5: 21-24: When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

This one statement is so absolutely amazing: “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, for God took him away.” Enoch lived day in and day out with God - through whatever circumstances came - even “valley of the shadow of death” circumstances - he and God walking together - and then one day - whosh - God takes him to Heaven. Of the billions who have lived and died - only two out of that vast number have never died - Enoch and Elijah.

You see this impressed me about _____ - even in the valley of the shadow of death - the worst of what he was going through these past months - he was walking with God - trusting Him - looking to Him for strength. And I could tell that God was walking him - giving him His strength and peace to go through it all.

We may not have been ready for God to take _____. But God was. And _____ was. He knew His Savior. He knew his destination - and the day came and God took him. And he is there with his Lord.

Jesus told His disciples, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

May these words of our Savior bring us comfort today. _____ believed in God - _____ trusted Jesus - and he is there - in his home with Jesus. And we who also believe in Jesus - who walk with Him - and trust Him as our Savior - one day we will go and live with _____ and Jesus - forever in our Father’s dwelling place.

I’d like to share one last passage - a description given to John the Apostle of the home Jesus is preparing for us. Revelation 21:3-7 - the scene is the Throne Room of God: I - John - heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among the, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain - or cancer - the old things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” And He said to me, “It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes - the one who has the victory in Jesus - shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

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Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright© 1960,1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.