“Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” John 8:51
Do you ever think about death–I mean your own death. It’s inevitable, just like the famous Daniel Defoe quotation from way back in 1726, “Nothing is certain but death and taxes.”
I suspect one’s thoughts about this inevitability relate directly to age, but they shouldn’t. We can leave this planet at any second on any day. No matter who or what we are, we aren’t in control whatsoever. God holds the key to life and death for every single one of us.
I looked at today’s obituaries to check out the ages of people who have passed. Compared to me, 55% were older and 45% were younger. That makes sense, considering that I’m a few years younger than the average lifespan for a male. However, one glaring fact stood out: several of the younger ones were in their thirties, right in the prime of life. You just don’t know when your time will be up.
Many–I suggest most–people live as if this is the only life they’ll ever have. They believe when their hearts stop beating and their brains stop thinking, their existence is over. That’s foolish behavior and thinking! Compared to eternity, our time here on earth is nothing. Our real lives don’t even start until this one has ended!
How can I be so certain of this claim? Jesus told us! Today’s verse is just one statement He made about death. Whether you believe in Him or not, no one has ever proven Him wrong on anything He ever stated. In today’s verse He emphasized that he’s telling us the truth! As a result, we should pay particular attention to it.
One of my early blogs reported on my wife’s near-death experience in early 2017, when she received a small glimpse of heaven. It gave her tremendous reassurance and a yearning to return! This attitude is one we should cultivate. Our bodies are merely temporary housing; our souls are imperishable.
How are you living? Is Jesus the Lord of your life?
Prayer: Thank you, God, for Jesus’s teaching that we will never see death. Amen.