Devotional for the church bulletin
On July 18 the world was rocked by the news that a Malaysian Airlines 777 had been shot down over Ukraine killing 300 passengers and crew. Apparently many airliners use this airspace and there was nothing unusual about the flight path. Why was a surface to air missile fired that particular day, at that particular time, aimed at that particular plane? There is a mystery to the providence of God. This terrible episode reminds us of a number of realities which should be kept in the forefront of our minds.
a) We are all going to die. As tragic as this act of terrorism is, each one of the people on board that flight was destined to die at some point (unless Christ returns first). We don’t like to think about death but it is an inescapable reality; pushing it out of our minds won’t make it go away. Someone asked what the mortality rate was in a certain country, the response came back – 100%. The mortality rate is always 100%. Heb 9:27, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment”
b) We do not know when we will die. Death may come dramatically 30 000 feet above the ground in a jet, or quietly 2 feet above the ground in our bed; we may be in the prime of life or in our 90’s. God has determined the time and circumstances of our departure just as He did our entry. With great improvements made to living standards we have come to expect to live well into old age. But many die unexpectedly. God is not bound by the standard of living, on the contrary it is a part of His decree.
c) We must always be ready to die. The uncertainty of the time of death and the seriousness of death means that we should live in a state of preparedness. How many people on board that plane we ready to stand before God? Are you ready at this moment? Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security supposing you have a long time to go. You may be young, healthy and optimistic, but your time could be short. Only if we are in Christ are we ready; only if we are living for the will of God are we ready. Live life to the full and live life to the glory of God supposing each day could be your last.
Andrew