December brought a very difficult end to a very difficult year for many people I know. On the 5th, a dear Christian lady that I have known and loved from my first full-time work passed from this life. She was 96 years old. On Christmas Eve I learned that a dear Christian friend where we used to live in Edna, Texas, passed away. He was 80 years old and lost a battle to pancreatic cancer. I have noticed a number of postings on social media of others losing aged loved ones over this past month.
While these deaths are sorrowful, and the timing is unfortunate, they are not out of the ordinary. People are expected to live their “threescore years and ten” to “fourscore years” (70-80 years – Ps. 90:10). However, we know death is no respecter of persons, or of ages.
This past two weeks has been especially difficult as our son Isaac and his friends have had to deal with the sudden passing of his roommate. Strong, healthy, vibrant 21-year-olds are not supposed to get sick and die. However, the Bible tells us these tragic things do happen.
Solomon wrote, “I returned and saw under the sun that – the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).
Fourscore years is not a guarantee. James says we are not promised tomorrow. Our life is a fragile vapor that appears for a short time and then… it is gone (James 4:13-15). For some people, the span of that vapor is tragically shorter than others.
How can we insure ourselves against “time and chance?” Becoming a faithful Christian gives us a guarantee of a home in Heaven when this life is over – regardless of how long or short our lives last on this Earth. Are you a faithful Christian?