No Dying Allowed

 

“No dying allowed.” We hear these words in our home regularly. It is usually in response to a child looking like they are about to attempt something dangerous (jumping from a high step, grabbing a knife or getting near the open oven door, etc.)

Lately, I feel like I am seeing these words on Facebook. One young man was talking about COVID 19 and some people who had died from it. He said something to the effect of, “These people would not have died if it were not for the corona virus.”

Death is a part of life. Death happens every day. I read that, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 2,813,503 registered deaths in the United States in 2017.”  (From a Google search, the most recent number I found).

Several years ago I lost someone from this life who was only 58. I was surprised to read an article that said if you live to be 65 your chances of living to 85 are very high. “IF” you live to be 65!  Apparently, though it had not been what I was experiencing, it is not uncommon for younger people to die.

There were some great comforts I had during that time of significant loss to me. The first is that my sister who left this life was a Christian and I am certain that I will be with her again in heaven. I am also certain that she is at peace and out of the pain she had suffered for months when she died.

And, I took great comfort in Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints” (NKJV)

Now, in our circumstances, I think that, as Christians, we have to rest in the sovereignty of God. He numbers our days (Exodus 23:26; Job 14:5). We know that He has us in this situation for reasons that we may not see now, though we can certainly see the things we need to repent of as a nation and personally, begging Him for His mercy on us as we do.

Looking at the big picture we have to see that we are not able to say that anyone would or wouldn’t have died without COVID 19.  People die on the day God assigns regardless of what we do or didn’t do.

Sadly, we do not get to obey, “No dying allowed” edicts. The only death we can ever hope to escape is the second death, the death that determines our eternal residence.

For those who do not have this assurance of eternity with God, in His grace, He tells us, “…[S]eek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 4:29).

So, perhaps in these days more and more people can be encouraged to “seek the Lord” with all their hearts and souls. Let’s face it, lots of people have the time right now.

For many people, fear and anxiety, even hunger and financial disaster are striking. Some will die (related to COVID 19 or to the response to it). As we seek to help, let’s include  encouraging others to seek the Lord and not to die…without Christ.