Life’s Final Appointment
February 22, 2011
What would you say is your primary response to the reality of death? It recently came to my attention that that question was asked to thousands of Canadians on two different occasions. The respondents were allowed to choose among five different emotional responses: sorrow, mystery, hope, fear, and no particular feeling. I’m glad I was not asked the question because my response was not listed among the five. But I’ll get to that later.
Now please do not misunderstand me. I’m not trying to be gloomy or gruesome today. I’m simply trying to take a moment to ponder the reality of death. And it is a reality. In fact the Bible reminds me that I have an appointment to meet up with death one day, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die…” (Hebrews 9:27). I think of it this way; death will be my life’s final appointment. Therefore, as a man who lives each day by a calendar and planner I do have some thoughts concerning this final appointment.
The first reality I’m reminded of is that I have no idea when I’m scheduled to die. Only God knows that, but I could not even give you an estimated guess. You see, unlike all the other appointments on my calendar right now I could not even try to place my funeral on the calendar. And that’s not all. When I am scheduled to take my last breath, it will be an appointment that I will not (nor will anybody else) be able to cancel, postpone, or reschedule. No amount of medication or medical treatment will be able to scratch it off God’s calendar for me that day. And then there is the fact that I have no idea where or how I will meet up with death.
Wow! there are a lot of unknowns involved in this appointment I’m scheduled for one day. However, the unknowns do not frighten or depress me because there are so many wonderful certainties as well.
To begin with I am certain that whenever my scheduled appointment with death is on God’s planner for me I will be in heaven. Now I will not be in heaven because I’ve earned a place there. I will reside in that wonderful location because Jesus Christ has prepared a place for me there (John 14:1-6). And even though all of the wonderful glories of heaven have not been revealed to me yet, I do know that I will never suffer there (Revelation 21:4). Then there is the certainty of Jesus’ presence throughout my scheduled appointment and eternity (Psalms 23:4). You see, He will be with me on this side of the grave and on the other side of the grave as well.
So back to that original question, What would you say is your primary response to the reality of death? My response? Confidence! I am confident, based on the Word of God that when I’m scheduled to meet with death it will be the beginning of an eternal appointment with Jesus Christ in heaven.
