A Time to be Born and a Time to Die

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 - To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:  A time to be born, and a time to die....

Monday morning.  It was brought to my attention that yesterday a family was on their way to our church when their van was struck by a truck on a treacherous, ice covered road. In an instant the lives of three people, one adult and two children, one child from another family, were taken "in a heartbeat."  It has given me pause to think, again, how we live our lives, and how important our family and loved ones should be and just how important it is not to take them for granted.

The time we spend and the things we say to our spouse and loved ones should be the most important thing in our life.  There should be continual love and respect for each other.  How do each of us measure up?  Have we failed and if we have, how?

I checked our church directory and there was a photo of the family.  I recognized the man although I did not know him.   His brother was quoted in the article as saying he "unabashedly showed his love to his wife."  That is one powerful statement showing how this man lived his life.  That kind of love comes from loving God first.  How many of us unabashedly show that love to our spouses?  One thing I know, he and the children have gone on to be with Jesus and although they will be missed, they are alongside their Savior.

Here's another question.  Can we honestly say we will go on to be with the Lord if we would die today?  I would not want to feel secure in thinking "I have plenty of time to be serious about my salvation.  I'll do it later."   I would not want to feel secure believing just because I go to church or read my Bible or am basically a good person that I would go to heaven.  I wouldn't want my pride or even stubbornness to get in the way of my relationship with the Lord.   I would want to know for sure.  

We are all sinners in need of a Savior. There is no one who is not. There is only one way to heaven and only one Person who can get us there.  It is through God's grace that we are saved.  We are not able to save ourselves--we cannot buy our salvation and no amount of good works, apart from what we do for God after receiving Him, will bring salvation.  It is a free gift that God gives to those who are willing to admit they are a sinner, believe that Jesus lived, died and rose again and is alive today.  Through our honest and heartfelt verbal confession of our sin and need for a Savior, God will hear and accept us making us His children that we might enter into the Kingdom of Heaven someday.  It is the life we live day to day for Christ.

Romans 3:23-24 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...

John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Ephesians 2:8-9 - ...for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Galatians 2:16 - We know that a person is not made right with God by following the law. No! It is trusting in Jesus Christ that makes a person right with God. So we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, because we wanted to be made right with God...

Romans 10:9-10 - ...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

This is a tragic accident. Yes, we will grieve but we can also rejoice in knowing that this man and the two children are with Jesus today. They lived their lives for God and family.  They will hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant(s)." 

Let us all consider this each day.  What is truly important in our lives?  Is it the stuff we consume ourselves with getting in our way?  Is it the idea that we are indispensable in our jobs?  Have we put family in second or third or fourth place? Is it our own needs and wants? If we are not considering others before ourselves in any situation we are looking at a life of selfishness.  Oh, how we need to look more closely at these issues.

Possibly losing a loved one today is a sobering thought.  Let us not take the lives of those around us for granted but look at them as God would, through His loving eyes.

Philippians 2:3-4 - Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Heavenly Father, I pray for these two families represented in this accident.  I pray for physical, emotional and spiritual healing.  Thank You, Father, for Your free gift of salvation and for the lives of these people.  You give and You take away; that is Your nature.  I ask that Your presence would be with these families to comfort and guide them.  Let their strength come from You.  We do not know the reason why they were taken.  It's one of those mysteries.  I ask, Lord, that You help us in any area of our own lives that might prevent us from being the people You want us to be within our families.  Dig deep into our hearts and show us where we need to change.  Thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son to die for us that we might receive eternal life.  In Your name I pray, Jesus.  Amen.