In 2 Kings 20, Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah of Judah, who was very ill, and said, “Set your house in order, for you shall die.”
Even though Hezekiah had received this rather definite pronouncement, he prayed that God would change His mind.
He turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
And it came about before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying… “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day, you shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add fifteen years to your life.”
Not many of us receive this sort of second chance to get our affairs in order before we die. Most of us, if we learned that our lives were to end in just a few days, would begin a frantic effort to buy life insurance, satisfy our creditors, make arrangements, teach our
children, and apologize to our spouses. But, since we rarely receive such a warning, and death often comes on swift, silent wings, those who are wise will make sure their houses are in order at all times.
Though our physical and financial readiness is important, our spiritual readiness is far more so. God says in Hebrews 9:27, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” Jesus says, “we must work the works of [God] as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work” (John 9:4). Once the eternal soul leaves the body, its fate is sealed forever. There are no opportunities in the grave to make up for actions or omissions in earthly life (Psalm 6:5; Eccl. 9:10).
So, how much longer will be “the time of your stay upon the earth” (1 Pet. 1:17)? For a few, it turns out to be a long time. Of course, we are long since past the days of Adam and Methuselah, who both lived to be almost a thousand years old (Genesis 5:5; 5:27). According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest human being in modern times was Jeanne Calment of France, who lived to 122.
Right now, the oldest living person is Ethel Caterham of the UK, who is 116. Even though there are over 10,000 centenarians in the United States, and a handful of supercentenarians (people older than 110), not many people can hope to have this long to get their lives right with God. According to Moses in Psalm 90, God has designed the human lifespan to be about seventy or eighty years.
But, there are no guarantees. For many, it turns out to be much, much shorter. Every year, thousands of people in their early thirties die from heart disease and cancer. Every year, thousands of teenagers die from accidents and homicides. Solomon said in Eccl. 8:8, “no man has authority over the day of death.” The only solution is to be perpetually ready.
For those in Christ, “salvation is nearer to us than when we believed” (Rom. 13:11). “I am coming quickly; hold fast to what you have” (Rev. 3:11). Stand firm so that you can welcome His coming.
For those outside of Christ, the Lord “is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Prepare to meet Thy God! Don’t wait for a scrape with death to decide to get your spiritual life in order—not many people are like Hezekiah and get a second chance.
—John Guzzetta