My neighbor and I were talking recently about Hurricane Harvey and the devastation it has caused in Texas and Louisiana. Even though people were warned about how bad this storm could be many tried to ride it out in their homes and some have paid with their life. The fury of a natural disaster can create havoc among those that feel they are well prepared to face the danger of the storm.
I am sure that most of you are like me and never think that any morning could be your last. I remember seeing medivacs flying into my base in Vietnam and unloading wounded soldiers or others. I would watch these helicopters fly in and land on the pad outside of the emergency room. I would pray for these soldiers that were loaded onto gurneys and rushed inside. I would pray that they knew Jesus personally or pray for the bodies of the soldiers the personnel would unload on the tarmac.
No one expects that today could be their last day of earth. None of the ones I have mentioned wanted to die the way they did but all of us need to remember what we are told in Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”
Many of us rush around each day never thinking that the Lord may call us home. We are all prone to accidents that could take us away at any time or maybe it could be that we are sick with an incurable disease, or possibly we could be in a war zone where uncertainty is the norm. For Christians we live with the reality that Jesus could return at any moment and with the condition of the world it seems this could happen quickly.
All of us need to realize that we could die today and this is an unchangeable fact. If we knew the exact time and date we will pass from the earth into eternity what would we do differently with our priorities?
There is absolutely no reason we should not be prepared to leave this world today. There is no reason for us to wait until the end to make things right or get things in order. We should live each day as if it is our last.
The hurricane victims thought they had extra time and would come through the storm without incident. The soldiers in a war zone always know the possibility of not coming back with their unit and hopefully they are prepared for their life to end at any time. All of us should be prepared to leave any day and that we are ready to join Jesus with no regrets left behind on this earth.
Should you not know Jesus personally and desire to have that peaceful understanding of knowing eternity with Him is waiting for you, can do so today. Pray to Jesus and ask Him to come into your heart. Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness and He will live with you instantly. You may say I don’t want my life to change however if you ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, He will help you forget the ways of the world and live for Him. Do this today and know for sure that you are going to spend eternity with Him. Life on earth is short and none of us ever know when our last day will be!
