A time to die

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

I found something interesting today called The Death Clock (deathclock.com). "The Internet's friendly reminder that life is slipping away..." I put in my numbers and I have a death date of Sunday, June 25, 2062. It is kind of a morbid message, and yet it shouldn't be. As Christians we should never fear what is beyond the grave. There should be something different about our outlook knowing that we don't face cold, pure annihilation at death.

We have a hope, a hope that burns within our heart. Hope in the coming of the Lord. How much more of the song do you need before you recognize #214 "We have this hope." It should be our song. That hope is our beacon, our guidepost. Without it we would not be Seventh-day Adventists: We believe in that soon coming, that glorious hope.

Something it makes you think about is the value of time. We only have so much time left, and while it may not be the amount specified in the Death Clock, it is finite. Even if we may not make much money for our time, our time is valuable. How much is time with your parents, your spouse, your children, and your friends worth? I think of something a friend of mine told me: "Thank you for taking this time with me. It is the thing you can give me that no one else can."

Something interesting that I noticed is the mode field on that site. I assume that it is speaking to the mode of living. There are 4 options: sadistic, pessimistic, normal, and optimistic. Changing those values greatly affects your estimated lifespan. For example, here is how my projected lifespan changes:

1. Sadistic: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
2. Pessimistic: Saturday, April 20, 2041
3. Normal: Sunday, June 25, 2062
4. Optimistic: Thursday, August 11, 2072
   

By a different perspective on life I can statistically extend my life. This idea is presented in the Bible in several different verses. Here are some I could think of:

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Psalm 91:16

It is God's love for us and His working in us that causes this change to happen. He that has begun a good work will complete it in us. He desires to give us life eternal. Even if we don't have a long life here, God has promised to give eternal life to those that endure unto the end. We were not made to die. Death is a foreign thing to a ceaseless God that is the Alpha and the Omega, that is the beginning and the end.

So is there a time to die? Yes, there is. But with God all things are made new, and we have no more tears, no more sorrow, death will die. Death is swallowed up in victory, "O death where is thy sting, o grave thy victory?!" God's love for us will have saved us from ourselves, from the Devil, and to Him. "And so shall we ever be with the Lord. . ."

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor . . ., shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39