Well Done Good and Faithful Servant

Billy Graham went home this morning to be with his Lord and Savior. A hero of the faith. What a long, accomplished, faithful life he led for almost a century. What a gift he has been to our world.

On the way to Bible study this morning my mind wandered to what that meeting in heaven must have been like. I tried to picture Dr. Graham standing before Jesus face to face. Would he weep? Would he collapse to the ground at Jesus feet? Would he dance and sing praises to the Lord? My mind could only wonder.

Billy Graham preached his first sermon when he was around nineteen—nineteen! As the son of a simple dairy farmer in North Carolina, and in the power of the almighty God, he changed the world. According to CNN, in his lifetime, Billy Graham ministered to over 215 million people in more than 185 countries. Stunning.

Almost one hundred years. That is how long this great man walked the earth. Spreading the gospel like a wildfire. So faithful. So obedient. So in love with Jesus. And, I would imagine, so overjoyed that he is finally home.

As I drove home from the post office yesterday, the emergency alert on my phone sounded. I was on the freeway so I couldn’t look at it. I noted that the sky was clear. It couldn’t be the weather. When I came to a stoplight, I glanced at it briefly. “Emergency alert for Westfield and Grand Park,” it read. As the light turned and I put my phone down, my heart started beating faster in my chest. What was happening? I’m sure it’s nothing, I thought. Please, Lord, Jesus, protect Emily and Jessica’s school. The adrenaline was pumping and my mind raced until I got home and saw it was only a test. Thank you Jesus!

The world is a scary place in 2018. My heart breaks for the kids from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and every other student who has been affected by a school shooting. We have failed our children. The enemy now runs right past us, to them. The young and vulnerable. How could we have let this happen—again?

We are shaken.

One might wonder if our nation can continue as it had before? Is it possible? So sad. So tragic. But, as author and speaker Tony Campolo used to say, “It’s Friday . . . . but Sunday’s a-coming!”

With the passing of Billing Graham, our minds turn to the hope we have in the risen Jesus. Once and for all we can look forward to putting all this behind us and going home to be with our precious Savior one day. That glorious day is promised to those who believe.

As I picture Jesus face to face with his Billy, tears fill my eyes. I imagine Jesus’ expression as that of a giddy child on Christmas morning and of a father seeing his son return home all in one. An expression of pure joy and delight emanates from the face of the Son of God as he welcomes his good and faithful servant home. With a warm embrace, this beloved evangelist can finally rest in eternal peace with his Heavenly Father. He is home at last.

I can hardly wait for that glorious day. My soul yearns for home. At forty five. How does one wait ninety nine years to go home? I can’t fathom it.

May I suggest you meditate on the moment when Billy Graham went home. Color a picture of it in your mind. Such a sweet moment it must have been. As your imagination runs wild, set your mind on the things above. And, set your mind on the things to come. Each one of us has that moment to look forward to. The moment we finish the race. What will your moment look like?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

Thank you, Mr. Graham.