Make Your Funeral a Party (Psalm 84:1-3, 10)

Psalm 84:1-3, 10

10 For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
.

A single thought struck me as I looked at Psalm 84 today: funerals. Strange, I know, to think about a funeral in the middle of a psalm like this, but I think it applicable. You see, the psalmist declares that his heart, his soul, his flesh cries out for God. HE declares that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, better in his mind than the thought of dwelling in the house of God.

So often, when Christians pass away, we find ourselves grieving, and rightly so, over the loss of a dear friend or family member. Without question, to mourn the loss of a friend is a biblically right thing to do (cf. Philippians 2:25-27). However, how often do we fail to think about things like we read in Psalm 84? How often do we fail to remember that, for the Christian, death in this life is an immediate entrance into the glorious presence of God? How often do we fail to remind funeral-goers that the Christian in the casket is, at that very moment, experiencing the one thing that can truly satisfy their heart for an eternity?

One more question: Why? Why do we miss the joy of the funeral? I think that there could be one simple answer. WE often fail to experience the joy of the funeral because we fail in our day-to-day lives to remind one another that we want nothing greater than to dwell in the house of the Lord. We fail to speak constantly of the fact that it is better to spend one day in heaven than a thousand years anywhere. We fail to speak with longing for even a place in the back row seats of heaven over and above the front row of the greatest spectacle this world has to offer. We miss the joy because our day-to-day conversations are not filled with longing for the eternal.

Christians, how about this: Let’s make it easy for our friends and families to attend our own funerals. How can we do that? We can make it easy for our families by making sure that they know that there is nothing for which we long more than to be forever in the presence of our Lord. Let them know, even if you are young, that you are looking forward with anticipation to the greatest moment of your life, the moment when you first truly set eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. Let the world around you know that your heart is in heaven, and they will be able to rejoice at your funeral.