In the quiet rhythms of life, whether you’re tending gardens, gathering for worship, or raising families, it’s easy to push aside the reality that each day could be your last. Since Lorri and I both lost our fathers recently, it’s harder for us to do that right now. We’re reminded, then, that Scripture confronts us plainly: “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). As Christians, the Lord calls us not merely to acknowledge death, but to always be prepared for it.
Death is no surprise to God. “In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16). The sovereign hand of God has numbered your days. Forming your days is not cold determinism, but as the tender care of a Father who has “determined allotted periods and the boundaries of [our] dwelling place” (Acts 17:26).
The Heidelberg Catechism beautifully reminds us that our only comfort in life and death is “that I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.” The question then is: Have you fled to Christ alone for salvation? Have you repented of sin and trusted in His finished work on the cross? The Apostle Paul could say, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” in Philippians 1:21, because he had settled this question.
By the way, being prepared means more than simply having a filed will or hoping for the chance of a deathbed conversion. It means daily dying to self and living unto God. It is the consistent pattern of putting sin to death by the Spirit, gathering with the saints for Word and Sacrament, loving your neighbors, and speaking the gospel while there is still time. The foolish virgins in Matthew 25 had lamps but no oil. Their lack of preparation was exposed in a moment. So, Jesus warns, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).
Practically, this readiness must shape every sphere of life. In your home, it means teaching your children (or grandchildren) the fear of the Lord while modeling repentance and faith. In your vocations, it means always working as unto the Lord, refusing to store up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy. In the church, it means encouraging one another daily while it is called “today,” practicing the communion of saints, and ensuring that our worship is not a mere formality but heartfelt devotion.
If you are NOT in Christ, let today be the day of your salvation. Go to Him!
If you are in Him, press on in holiness, joy, and service.
Live each day as those who will soon see the face of their Redeemer. Maintain short accounts with God and man. Cultivate the means of grace. Then, when that final day comes, whether quietly in old age or suddenly in the prime of life, know that God promises you will hear those sweet words: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.”
May the God of all comfort grant us grace to live each day prepared to die, for His glory and our eternal good.