Once we are born, we are bound to die when the season of death comes. However, some of us hold on to a mistaken belief that status in life is a panacea to long life or grants immunity to death. We only live by God’s grace and not by status or any other thing or factor. Paul in appreciating God’s grace for his life said to the people of Ephesus in Acts 18: 21, I will return to you if God wills. God decides all events.
James 4: 13-15 say come now, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain; whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that.
Have we finished our mission?
There are several examples in the bible where those called by God had accomplished their missions at the moment of their departure from this life. At the moment of Jesus’ death, he had finished his work of leading us to the Father. He said on the cross, it is finished, John 19: 30. Apostle Paul had also finished his work by the time of his death so he confidently said in 2 Timothy 4: 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. At the moment of Moses’ death, he had also led the Israelites out of Egypt as the Lord directed him.
In Deuteronomy 34: 4 the Lord said to Moses, this is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there. Before Joshua died, he also had finished his mission as God ordained to possess the land of Canaan. Upon success, he said to the people in Joshua 24: 15, choose this day whom you will serve, … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. In 2 Kings 2: 1-14 Elijah had accomplished his divine task at the time of his departure by a whirlwind into heaven. He therefore left his legacy of the mantle with Elisha as his successor.
Our accomplishments and legacies
All the above mentioned stalwarts of faith left respective legacies for generations after them by which we are redeemed and restored to God today. They dutifully finished their divine assignments and left an everlasting legacy of faithfulness to God. At our time of death, will we also have finished our divine assignments in this life? If so, what sort of legacy will we be credited with by those after us? Just as these stalwarts departed so shall we also depart may be without any further notice.
It is important to focus on our tasks on earth and to finish them before our moment of departure. The legacy we leave behind must be one of righteousness and holiness rather than injustice and wealth from dishonesty including corruption and crime, else those who inherit them from us will be affected by the same curse of evil in a vicious cycle till they own up and confess to cleansing in the blood of Christ Jesus. This is why Exodus 34: 7 says God shall visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.
The only true accomplishment in this life at the moment of our death or departure is having an honest and a true relationship with Christ Jesus and in obedience to his word. Further, the only true, lasting and peaceful legacy which we have and can bequeath to those after us is true faith, righteousness and anything that emanates from holiness and righteousness devoid of sin, evil and crime. Will we be ready when the trumpet sounds? It could be anytime soon, we must be prepared to face the judge, Christ Jesus.
Circumstances of our departure
At the time or moment of death, no activity in which we may be engaged in can stop, delay or vary our departure. The bible has recorded several instances where God called people were called home irrespective of their circumstances, situations or conditions. When the time is up, it is up to whether or not we are ready. Some limited biblical examples are listed below for our guidance whether we are:
- Asleep or awake, Exodus 12: 29
- Born or in the womb, Exodus 1: 16, 22; Matthew 2: 16
- Free or bonded, Genesis 40: 21
- Friend or foe, Matthew 27: 4-5
- God’s servant or not, Mathew 14: 10-11; Mark 6: 27-28
- Idol worshiper or not, 2 Kings 21: 20-23; Leviticus 10: 2
- Jew or Gentile, Job 34: 20; Psalms 90: 9; Matthew 24: 34; Mark 13: 31; Luke 21: 33
- Location or venue, Exodus 12: 29; 14: 28
- Male or female, Acts 9: 36-37
- Master or servant, James 1: 9-10; 2 Peter 3: 10; 1 John 2: 17
- Merry making or melancholy, Judges 16: 30
- Powerful or powerless, 1 Samuel 31: 4
- Rich or poor, Luke 16:22
- Righteous or sinner, Deuteronomy 34: 4-5
- Sick or healthy, Acts 9: 37; Genesis 7: 21-22
- Spouses or not, Acts 5: 5, 10
- Teasing or reverencing, 1 Kings 13: 24; 2 Kings 2: 24
- Town or city, Numbers 21: 28; 26: 10
- Working or idle, Matthew 24: 40-41
- Young or old, Numbers 33: 39; 34: 17
No matter our circumstances, we will depart one day. At that moment, what will be God’s testimony about us, to be admitted into heaven or to be condemned into hell fire? Let us reflect on Joshua’s instructions in Joshua 24: 15; Jesus’ message in Matthew 3: 2; 4: 17 that repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; Jesus’ statement in Luke 3: 8 that bear fruits that befit repentance; the warning in Ezekiel 18: 4, 20 that the soul that sins shall die; and finally in Hebrews 9: 27 that it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment. Remember there is no second chance.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, we have come to the truth that we shall die only once after which judgment will follow. Please help us that on the eve of our departure, we would have accomplished your divine task for us to perform and to leave a legacy that is worthy of your name. Redeem us in your blood and make us worthy before your throne of mercy prior to our departure. In your holy name we pray, Amen!!
