“About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’ ”” (Isaiah 38:1, NLT)
I saw Earl the day he came home from the hospital. He had been sick for weeks. His stomach had bothered him for months. Now and again, he would get very nauseous after a meal. Earl wasn’t well. I was hoping that he had a severe case of the flu or a faulty gall bladder, but a part of me had this dreadful feeling that Earl was seriously ill. As Earl sat down across from me at his kitchen table, I could see the tiredness in his eyes. Then, he said to me, “Well, that’s it. I have Pancreatic Cancer. I’ve been given six months to live.”
Earl reached over and held his wife’s hand. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Then, Earl told me something I’ll never forget. He said, “Two years ago, I knew this day was coming. I just knew. I wasn’t sick or anything. I just had this feeling that death was coming for me. In the past two years, I’ve prepared, Pastor Dave. I prepared a lot. I went back to church. I patched things up with my brother. I remodeled the house, updating the furnace and replacing the siding. I’ve put every extra penny we had into savings. I want to make it easier for the family for when I’m gone. Promise me, you’ll help take care of my family.” I promised to do my best, and I did. I watched over his wife during his illness. I was there for the family when he died. I checked in on the family every chance I could. I helped them often.
Some people have this feeling when they are to die. They just know their time is short in this life. Every person who had a premonition or some knowledge that their time in this life was coming to a close told me that they were sure of their impending death. None could explain how they came to such a conviction other than saying “it was a “God thing”, or “I had a gut feeling”, or “it just came to me”. Even non-believers have had this preternatural knowledge of coming death. Though some were staunch believers in rationalism, what they experienced could easily be seen as a sign of a metaphysical or spiritual reality far beyond human understanding.
In the scripture above from the book of Isaiah, King Hezekiah was visited by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah visited the king to deliver a message from God. It wasn’t a good message. God had informed Isaiah that King Hezekiah was to “set his affairs in order” (Isaiah 38:1). It was Hezekiah’s time to die. Hezekiah had been sick for a while. I’m sure physicians or healers were called to aid the king. It didn’t matter. God had set the time for Hezekiah to die.
What occurs after today’s verse in the Bible is particularly fascinating to read. King Hezekiah prayed to God with a genuine heart. After living a long and faithful life, Hezekiah leaned on God for comfort and assurance. Hezekiah did not pray for more time. He did not beg God for a few more years. Instead, with many tears, he readied himself for impending death. Then, God did something wonderful. God told Isaiah to visit King Hezekiah again. Isaiah delivered God’s new message: Hezekiah was given fifteen more years of life (Isaiah 38:5). God was also going to use Hezekiah’s faithful leadership to protect the people of Judah and Jerusalem during dangerous times, avoiding a war with the Assyrians (Isaiah 38:6).
If you read Isaiah 38 carefully, one fact should not escape your study. These scriptures prove again what is known about God. God is in charge of your life and death. God knew when you were to be born. God sees the future. God knows that your days are numbered. God is fully aware of when you will die. God can alter the time of your death according to HIS plans, because it is fully within God’s power to set the time of your death.
I am constantly surprised by the people who do not plan for death. When Earl felt death was coming for him, he went back to church, patched up things with his brother, and planned for his short future. However, so many people go through life making no arrangements for death. They act as if they will live forever. They ignore the fact that their days are numbered. They reject the notion that God has set their time to die. You’d think Christians would know better. Jesus also knew his death was coming. On several occasions, He informed His disciples of his impending death (as in John 12:33). And yet, even with Jesus’ example, some Christians go through life without any thought of making things right before they die. They act as if death will never come for them. How utterly ridiculous! If anything is sure in life, it is death! Death comes for all of us.
How you live is crucially important. The actions you take; the decisions you make; everything you do matters greatly. But how you die is also important. Planning for the day of your death is critical. Not only will this bless those who take care of your estate, but it will also prepare the souls of those around you for your eventual loss. How you deal with death shows what you value in life. How you deal with your impending death displays your faith or lack thereof.
What kinds of preparations have you made for death? Are you one of those who knows death is close? Have you kept your soul prepared for the day you die? Have you repented of past sin? Have you continually sought to make things right along the way? If you were to die today, would you be ready to meet your Maker? Would your family be spiritually ready to go on without you? How strong is your faith in God?
Long before Jesus died on the cross, He prepared his disciples for the day He would leave them. Following Jesus’ example, shouldn’t you make some preparations as well?
Earl reached over and held his wife’s hand. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Then, Earl told me something I’ll never forget. He said, “Two years ago, I knew this day was coming. I just knew. I wasn’t sick or anything. I just had this feeling that death was coming for me. In the past two years, I’ve prepared, Pastor Dave. I prepared a lot. I went back to church. I patched things up with my brother. I remodeled the house, updating the furnace and replacing the siding. I’ve put every extra penny we had into savings. I want to make it easier for the family for when I’m gone. Promise me, you’ll help take care of my family.” I promised to do my best, and I did. I watched over his wife during his illness. I was there for the family when he died. I checked in on the family every chance I could. I helped them often.
Some people have this feeling when they are to die. They just know their time is short in this life. Every person who had a premonition or some knowledge that their time in this life was coming to a close told me that they were sure of their impending death. None could explain how they came to such a conviction other than saying “it was a “God thing”, or “I had a gut feeling”, or “it just came to me”. Even non-believers have had this preternatural knowledge of coming death. Though some were staunch believers in rationalism, what they experienced could easily be seen as a sign of a metaphysical or spiritual reality far beyond human understanding.
In the scripture above from the book of Isaiah, King Hezekiah was visited by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah visited the king to deliver a message from God. It wasn’t a good message. God had informed Isaiah that King Hezekiah was to “set his affairs in order” (Isaiah 38:1). It was Hezekiah’s time to die. Hezekiah had been sick for a while. I’m sure physicians or healers were called to aid the king. It didn’t matter. God had set the time for Hezekiah to die.
What occurs after today’s verse in the Bible is particularly fascinating to read. King Hezekiah prayed to God with a genuine heart. After living a long and faithful life, Hezekiah leaned on God for comfort and assurance. Hezekiah did not pray for more time. He did not beg God for a few more years. Instead, with many tears, he readied himself for impending death. Then, God did something wonderful. God told Isaiah to visit King Hezekiah again. Isaiah delivered God’s new message: Hezekiah was given fifteen more years of life (Isaiah 38:5). God was also going to use Hezekiah’s faithful leadership to protect the people of Judah and Jerusalem during dangerous times, avoiding a war with the Assyrians (Isaiah 38:6).
If you read Isaiah 38 carefully, one fact should not escape your study. These scriptures prove again what is known about God. God is in charge of your life and death. God knew when you were to be born. God sees the future. God knows that your days are numbered. God is fully aware of when you will die. God can alter the time of your death according to HIS plans, because it is fully within God’s power to set the time of your death.
I am constantly surprised by the people who do not plan for death. When Earl felt death was coming for him, he went back to church, patched up things with his brother, and planned for his short future. However, so many people go through life making no arrangements for death. They act as if they will live forever. They ignore the fact that their days are numbered. They reject the notion that God has set their time to die. You’d think Christians would know better. Jesus also knew his death was coming. On several occasions, He informed His disciples of his impending death (as in John 12:33). And yet, even with Jesus’ example, some Christians go through life without any thought of making things right before they die. They act as if death will never come for them. How utterly ridiculous! If anything is sure in life, it is death! Death comes for all of us.
How you live is crucially important. The actions you take; the decisions you make; everything you do matters greatly. But how you die is also important. Planning for the day of your death is critical. Not only will this bless those who take care of your estate, but it will also prepare the souls of those around you for your eventual loss. How you deal with death shows what you value in life. How you deal with your impending death displays your faith or lack thereof.
What kinds of preparations have you made for death? Are you one of those who knows death is close? Have you kept your soul prepared for the day you die? Have you repented of past sin? Have you continually sought to make things right along the way? If you were to die today, would you be ready to meet your Maker? Would your family be spiritually ready to go on without you? How strong is your faith in God?
Long before Jesus died on the cross, He prepared his disciples for the day He would leave them. Following Jesus’ example, shouldn’t you make some preparations as well?