Living a long life is a blessing, especially when you’ve had a chance to serve the Lord and spend time with several generations of your family members. Psalm 90:10a (NLT) states, “Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty.” Unfortunately, that will not be everyone’s testimony, as some people leave this earth at very young ages. Death doesn’t discriminate between ethnic groups, age groups, or social-economic groups. It takes whoever it chooses and whenever it pleases. James 4:14 (CEV) says, “What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears.”
Get Them Ready
As parents or grandparents, our job is to teach children about who God is, what it means to have a relationship with Christ, and the importance of obedience to the scriptures. Deuteronomy 6:7 (NLT) says, “Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up”. It is imperative to let our youth know that they are not too young to have a surrendered life to the Lord. Ecclesiastes 12:10 (NLT) says, “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” Also, they need to learn the value of having an “others-centered” life of service and humility, as well as using their natural talents to glorify the Lord.
I Stepped In
Recently, I read a book about a 17-year-old girl named Angela who died a few years ago in a plane crash on her way to do ministry. She had spent her life teaching children about God and leading people to Christ. Her father was distraught, as he dreaded to even look at the body. At that moment, someone called him in tears and told him that the previous night, in a dream Angela came to him and said, “Let my daddy know it didn’t hurt. I simply just stepped into Heaven.” A few weeks later one of the passengers who survived the accident described the last few minutes before the crash. He stated, “Angela was praying in the Spirit violently; then she just drooped over with her bible on her lap and was silent before the crash.”
Wow! This teenager demonstrated that she knew how to pray and connect with God. In the last seconds of her life, she was full of the Spirit and displayed a deep passion for her Savior. She was prepared for eternity – how about you?
PRAY THIS PRAYER: “Lord, I don’t know the day or the hour when I will leave this place; I realize that my age doesn’t matter, so I want to be ready. Please forgive me for all unrighteousness. I ask you to be my Lord and Savior forever. Help me to live for you and to please you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”
