What would you do if you were told, "You only have one month to live?" Or, "...if you climb that mountain that's the last anyone will see you. Once you go up there you're not gettin' down - a heart attack could happen; a wild beast could attack or an avalanche or landslide could whisk you away."
What would you do? What would you think about? Would you crumple up into a dishevelled ball of self-pity and misery? Or would you have some set bucket list of adventures to explore and tick off? What would you do? Would you get your house in order? What do you think you would do?
Moses, such a phenomenal person, got his house in order. He prepared. He had a huge nation of mottley people to prepare. A nation to settle into a new land but he'd be taking his last steps up that mountain unable to go into the Promised Land! What a huge disappointment for him!
He was told he could not go into the Promised Land. What was he to do then? Whatever could he do!? That was the question.
Yeah. There are many answers to these types of questions. Of course, to be a follower of Jesus Christ, the most important one we would say to anyone, is to be saved - to have salvation through Jesus Christ, to be prepared to meet ones' Maker.
God's love is reaching out to one and all. He loved the one and alls of the world so much He sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for their sins so those who believe in Him could have atonement and forgiveness for their sins and everlasting life. He enabled Jesus to give this Gift of God to whoever wants it and then to be with Him at the end of their days on earth, for ever and ever.
Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is the most concerning of needs. "Where will I spend eternity?" is the most pressing of preporatory exit concerns. At the end of that month where will you be?
The day before Canada Day I was in church, in Fredricton, New Brunswick. There was a service in which they had a 'blended' service, meaning the Mandarin-speaking congregation and the English-speaking congregation held a joint-service together. The Mandarin congregation's choir was leading the songs. The first song to sing was, "O Canada'. The second one was, "God Save our Gracious King' (re: King Charles III of the UK).
It was the first time it came smack dab in my face to have to sing God Save the King instead of the Queen, and this for this king. My immediate reaction was, "WHAT?!" "King!" "King Charles!" "I don't really like this king! The Queen - the gracious Queen, yes! BUT, this King Charles III?! I do NOT want to sing that! Besides we're supposed to be singing praise to Jesus! Singing to God our King of kings! Singing praises to Him for all HE has done for us!"
But here they were asking us to sing for that king.
Anyway, they all began to sing, "O Canada". We got through that and then they began with "God Save the King". I just, na - ah! I didn't sing and didn't sing until they were almost finished and the words that were repeated "God save the king" penetrated into my mind. Then the epiphany was, "I can turn this into a prayer!" This king definitely needs to be saved! This king, gracious or not, does need to be saved. He needs to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of his life to prepare for the next life in eternity. As the line of thought progressed I said to myself, I said, "I guess I can sing this song afterall. So I did join in with the last strains of lyrics and tune.
We all need salvation through Jesus Christ the one and only way to God, King Charles III included.
In Numbers 27 when Moses' last hours came to be, and before he'd climb that Mount Piscah, seen his glimpse of the Promised Land from that vantage point and then be gathered to his fathers and God would bury him, he didn't crumple up.
He still had duty to perform. What would happen to the multitudes of Israelites? They would be like a flock of sheep without their shepherd if Moses left the scene unprepared.
So before his last climb at the tender age of 120 years, Moses appealed to God, "These people need a leader." God told him, "Joshua, son of Nun is to be the leader to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land and guide them into claiming the land.
Faithful Moses, despite setback after setback along the wilderness way, commissioned the installment of Joshua son of Nun as God's chosen next leader, just as God had commanded him.
So people, if you're given one month to live, how would you conduct yourself, going all haywire or calm, steady preparing of those people around you in your care, for the inevitable. I wonder what I'd do?
May you all be blessed in preparing for what lies ahead should you no longer be on this earth. Only God truly knows the number of our days.
Be ready.
~ ERC July 2024 ~
Based on Numbers 27:12-23.
Sing, Will You Be There, and I?, along with Hymnary.org.
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