“WHAT IF I DIE TODAY?”

“WHAT IF I DIE TODAY?”
“Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
Amos 4:12 - NKJV

The most important day of our lives is the one where we receive and commit ourselves to Jesus, because on that day we become heirs of Heaven; the second most important day of our lives is the day of our death, because on that very day, we face eternity.
 
Throughout our lives, we prepare ourselves diligently for an infinite amount of things to be experienced during our short existence: friendship, graduations, marriage, awards, titles, raising our children, having success at the workplace, being a decent person, etc. But there is a special construction that should be on the top of our list, given that it is infinitely more important than all the others altogether: the preparation for the day we breathe our last breath, because at that very suspire, we salute the most relevant agenda of all times: the meeting with our Maker.
The Bible warns us all the time about the vanity, brevity and shortness of life, and the text above is one of those reminders.
It’s very important - actually, a matter of eternity - for us to be constantly aware that our real life is all about the choices we make while on this side of our existence, so we should pay much more attention to it than we actually do.
These “recordatory” lines do not intend to be morbid or to cause you discomfort, but the advice made by the prophet Amos 29 centuries ago remains: “Prepare yourself to the encounter with your God.” This encounter should not be the reason for fear or despair, but of hope and the right attitude towards the gracious offer of eternal salvation made by God Himself through His Son Jesus Christ.
 
Let’s not forget about the man whose story is registered in the Scriptures in Luke 12 who said to himself: “I have life and goods laid up for many years…”, and in contrast, the Lord said to him: “This night your soul will be required of you.” Notice the clashing and irreconcilable difference between the two perspectives: “many years”and “this night.” It’s also remarkable that the Lord also uses the word “prepared” in His final question to that man: “Who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”, in a clear demonstration that the man had not properly prepared himself for the encounter with God. Few chapters later, in the same Gospel of Luke, we see another similar story when Jesus talks about the final fate of a rich man and the beggar Lazarus.
Yes, the day of our death is indeed (and for human and obvious reasons) a day of lament, but should also be a day of learning for those who stay, and a day of legacy for those who left. A legacy of honor, example, and above all, a legacy of a life lived based upon faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
My dear friend, allow me the boldness and daring to ask you: “Are you prepared to encounter the Lord, if He calls you today?”
 
Wishing many blessings to you and your family!
Pastor Joshua