Covid-19 has changed our world in many ways. One of the most important lessons that it has forced us to face is that death is possible for any of us at any time. That may be a sobering thought for some people, but its truth has always been the case. Coronavirus has forced us to realize that we must be diligent about preparing for eternity while there is still time. Thank God that life and death are, and always have been, in the Hand of Almighty God. Those of us who love and trust Him do realize that our lives are in His hands. We don’t fear COVID-19. Instead, we trust the Word of God. Ps. 91: 15-16 say:
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Those of us who are His children take responsibility for doing the natural things we must do to stay safe. We employ proper handwashing, wear masks, perform safe-distancing, etc. According to 1 Cor. 15:46, first the natural and then the spiritual. Ultimately, however, we trust God to cover us with His feathers and to keep us under His wings (Psalms 91:4).
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
When I was a child in the church, we sang a little song entitled We’re Crossing Over, One by One. Its words remind us that we did not come to Earth this time to stay forever.
We’re Crossing Over One by One
Seek ye the Lord while he yet may be found
Don’t let nobody turn you around
Don’t let old Satan block your path.
Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.
Chorus: We’re crossing over, we’re moving on
We’re fast approaching life’s setting sun.
(Don’t let him catch you)
Don’t let him catch you with your work undone.
We’re crossing over one-by-one
While we are on Earth, we are to make ourselves ready for eternity. We choose to live forever with God or without Him, based on how we live our lives on Earth. Life is beautiful, and it is indeed a precious gift from God. We have the opportunity to enjoy our lives, but with life’s enjoyment comes responsibility. It is our responsibility to make sure that our soul is saved. We have one soul, and where that soul lives after we leave Earth is up to us. It is our responsibility to ensure that our soul lives with God.
God has given us His love, grace, and His mercy. He gave us His own precious Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us; the Holy Bible, which is our road map to Heaven; and the Holy Ghost who will lead and guide us in all truth. (John 16:13). They were all given so that we can live victorious lives and so that we can live with God throughout eternity. We have a great cloud of witnesses as role models (Heb. 12:1) and other people to help us, such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). We must take advantage of all of our God-given help when making the right decision about where our eternal soul will reside.
The call to the salvation of our souls is the most important message that a minister can preach. As the words of the song mentioned above say, we are indeed crossing over from life into eternity, one by one. People should be reminded that every man will die, including themselves. Heb. 9:27 says: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die…”. We must all prepare for eternity now, while we can do so. Life has always been a precious gift from God, and death has always been possible at any time. COVID-19 has re-inforced the concept that it is more important than ever to get saved now. We must be ready when our time comes to die. We prepare for death by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and living for God while on Earth.
If there is any “good” thing that can be said about COVID-19, it is just one more reminder that it is essential to get ready now for eternity. The distractions of life have been pulled down, and we see life and death clearly for what they are.
Many people are “hankering” to get back to their old way of life. They want the distractions of sports, clubs, partying, amusement parks, and fun, fun, fun, back in place so that they do not have to face the harsh reality that they need to be saved. But our good and gracious God has removed those distractions. In His loving-kindness, He is helping us to face the facts. We must get saved now rather than later because later may never come.
Thank God that He is in control of life and death, but we control our destiny. Wisdom tells us to choose to get saved and live for God now so that we may live with Him forever.
Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we are grateful to You for all you have done for us. We trust You with all that we have and all that we are, including our very lives. We believe, O God, that You are the Master of all things. And when our time comes to meet You, our Maker, thank You for helping us be ready when You are ready. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.