"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas 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. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil." (James 4: 13-16, NKJV)
Who knows exactly what will happen a day or two from now? Who is in control of the day? Can we, for one second, stop the rising of the sun or the setting of the same? Are we fully in control? Is our demonstration of bravado merely a camouflage for our insecurity? By the way, who knows when death will come knocking? We know that death is an inevitable end. It is unavoidable. We can't stop it although we wish we could. As we observe our bodies struggling with the ravages of the ageing process, we often wish we had the ability to stop it. We realize how helpless we really are and how our money and possessions cannot help us break free from the humbling ageing process. Some have tried cosmetic surgery but that has not prevented them from dying. Others have simply ignored the ageing process and attempted to deny the fact, consequently refusing to accept physical death as an inerasable certainty.
Apostle James asked the question, 'What is your life?' Is it the accumulation of wealth, educational qualifications, awards, possessions, travel escapades, books written, wonderful families, Fortune 500 companies, etc? Jesus asked another question, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). As sad as it sounds, no one will be able to take any thing away with them when they eventually pass away. The Bible reminds us of that, stating "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." (1 Timothy 6:7). So what is life all about?
There was a man who thought he knew how to navigate the uncertainties of life. He was successful in the eyes of the world, was affluent, lived a luxurious life and made plans for the future. Jesus spoke a parable about this man, saying
" ...: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke12:16-21). He thought he had it all figured out; he was set for retirement. He had worked hard and everything seemed to be in place and in stock. Money was not the problem. However, he went the way of all mankind. He left all that he had worked for behind. He left the world with nothing. His worldly achievements could not deliver him from death or his eternal destination.
Do you know when death will come knocking? Are you prepared for eternity? Oh, some people say when they die, their bodies will rot. That's true. What about the spirit? The spirit will never die. It will continue to live either in Heaven or in hell. The Bible says "... it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment," (Hebrews 9:27). Some say they do not believe. Well, that is their right but guess what, unbelief does not change anything. Whether or not you believe in the Word of God, one day you will stand before the Almighty God to give an account of your life. That day will be Judgement Day. If you followed Jesus, you will go to Heaven, otherwise you will end up in hell. As simple as that. One may think it is unfair. Again one is entitled to his or her own opinion but the question is: why should God admit you into Heaven when you rejected Him on earth? God is not obligated to offer assistance to those who hate Him. Moreover, it will be a violation of the individual's fundamental human rights to be sent to a place whose owner is the One he or she hates. You see, you can't eat your cake and have it. You are either for God or for Satan and hell was created for Satan. You are either a believer or unbeliever. If by your choice, you decide to be an unbeliever, you will receive what all unbelievers will receive - everlasting punishment in hell and the company of Satan whom they invariably served and who hates them with a passion. Whatever you sow is what you will reap (Galatians 6:7).
What is the way out? JESUS. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Jesus can and will set you free if you surrender your life to Him today. He died for our sins and He has the power to deliver us from eternal punishment or damnation. Surrendering to Jesus means repenting of your sin, asking God for forgiveness and receiving Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:" (John 1:12)
Please come to Jesus today. Confess your sins to Him, ask for and accept His forgiveness and you shall be cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John1:9). Then you will start your journey to Heaven. Here on earth, the Holy Spirit will guide you and comfort you. You will be a new creation because old things will pass away and all things will become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). God bless you.
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