Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo, once
declared, “Nothing is so certain as death, and nothing is so uncertain as the
hour of death.”
Scripture makes this point in numerous texts. Psalm 144:4 states, “Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.”
James 4:14 echoes a similar sentiment, “… you do not know what will
happen tomorrow. For what is your life?
It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
Intellectually, we all understand the universal
reality of death. But it is one of those
truths that, too frequently, fails to impact our outlook to the degree that it
should.
This axiomatic dimension of life was powerfully
illustrated in our church family recently.
Last week we held the memorial service for a faithful member and leader
of our congregation. Two weeks before
his death, he was functioning normally in his duties at home and in our church
ministries. But then, circumstances
occurred which would seldom attract much attention but ultimately led to his
death.
We live in the reality that God is sovereign over
all of the details of life. Not a
sparrow can fall apart from the providence of God, Jesus declared. There are no “accidents” in the plan of
God. All things are ordained by the Lord
to bring glory to Himself and for the ultimate good of His people.
On a human level, we are surprised by many
circumstances in life. But when we view
life from the perspective of God’s eternal purposes being fulfilled, we can
find peace and joy, even in the midst of bewildering developments that, humanly
speaking, were not anticipated nor welcomed.
God has given us this moment in time, of unknown
duration. Let us use it for His glory,
trusting Him for the ultimate outcome.
