MORNING MANNA              1-21-23

When we are young we give little thought to death. Then our focus is on life and pleasure. We don’t think about death unless someone brings it, we lose a loved one, or we pass by a cemetery.

But when we get older, encounter health problems, and remember loved ones who died, we are forced to think about the fact that we are going to die. As the Bible says, “.. it is appointed unto men once to die..” ( Heb. 9:27).

We are all dying. The question is, “How do we deal with that reality? In light of it’s certainly we would be fools to just ignore it. Not only should we think about our eternal destiny, we should also give thought to how should live. We should give serious thought as to how we spend our time.

One of my favorite quotes is from Richard Baxter ( 1615-1691)who said:
“A life still near to death, did me possess, With a deep sense of time’s great preciousness. Still thinking I had little time to live, My fervent heart to win men’s souls did strive. I preach’d, as never sure to preach again, And as a dying man to dying men!”
Baxter is considered by many to be, outside of Spurgeon, the most powerful preacher and influential pastor ever in England. He had no doubt about what he ought to do and gave his life wholeheartedly to that purpose.

How then shall you live? Living with eternity in view we cannot help but think of death, and thinking of death should compel us to think of duty. We should be living like we’re leaving! May each of us do what we can, while we can, the best we can, as long as we can! That is a life well-lived. – HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, Tx.