Ain’t that something, a time to drop dead. Within the last three weeks, my microwave died. Our pedestal fan fanned no more at the age of 89 days. It couldn’t take the heat. Shoot, it couldn’t even make it to three months! Then a part broke off our ice maker. We just had a technician replace a key part on our stove, and after he left, one burner still has me saying, “Come on baby, light my fire.” But it won’t. The Preacher, I’m sure, wasn’t referring to inanimate objects when he wrote this piece, but there are things, and not only people and animals, that face death.
Sin is bad. It diminishes our health. It robs us of our beauty. It steals our joy and peace. It shatters our tranquility, and causes us to age. But worse of all, it brings forth death. While we can fight and maybe overcome health issues and many circumstances, we all have to bow before death. We can’t go around it or through it. When death knocks at the door, even if we don’t open, it’ll get in. It doesn’t matter where we go, it’ll find us.
Maybe you’ve lost a loved one recently. Whether out of the blue, or saw it coming, its sting always hurts. Of my five older brothers, I lost one about nine years ago. Then another, and another, and then another. Every few years, I lost one. Four in total. The last one is hanging by a thread. He doesn’t know the Lord. When the thread breaks, he’ll go without God to a world of darkness and hopelessness-unless He gets himself right with God.
How about you? Are you ready to die? Are you 100% certain you’ll be going to His presence? Are you confident of His words, “For it is appointed onto men, once to die and then the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). No one can ace life’s final: DEATH. Only Jesus laid down His life, took it back again…and defeated death!
We can’t rejoice over others’ deaths, but we have to be ready for it. It doesn’t matter all the theories out there and all the thoughts on it; once our souls/spirit leaves our bodies, we can’t ever go back for a do-over. Death is coming. But as Christians, while our bodies die, we live with Him eternally. Death doesn’t reign over us.
But there’s a different death that God calls us to. A death some of us fight all our lives: A death to self. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).
To deny ourselves means to die to our desires and wants. God expects us to carry our cross (our trials and sufferings) and follow where He leads. We can’t do that while pursuing our dreams and living our lives. Why not?? Can’t do both. He doesn’t share His glory with anyone. It’s either we live all for Him, or none at all. Not everyone wants to pay the high price of serving Him. Well, why should you when there are thousands of other paths called religions? Because none get us there. He seeks relationship. He doesn’t reject us, but we’re the ones that rule ourselves out.
Dying To Live For Him!
Sam