A Lesson Learned From COVID-19
The Coronavirus has changed our world in many ways. One of the most important lessons that it has taught us is that death for each individual is possible at any time. Yes, that is a sobering thought, but its truth has always been the case. The Coronavirus has simply forced us to take the blinders off our eyes and see the possibility of our own death as a reality. Its presence has forced each of us to realize that we must be diligent about our preparation for meeting eternity while there is still time.
When I was a child we sang a little song entitled We’re Crossing Over One by One. Its words remind us that we did not come to earth 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, choosing forever with or without God. Life is beautiful and it is indeed a precious gift from God. We have been given the opportunity to enjoy life, but with life’s enjoyment comes responsibility. We must find our purpose and fulfill that purpose. With the gift of life comes the responsibility to prepare for life after death. God has given us His love, grace, and His mercy. He gave us His own precious Son, the Holy Bible, and the Holy Ghost so that we are able to live successful lives and, so that we are be able to live with God throughout eternity. We have been given a great cloud of witnesses as role models and other human beings to help us such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11).
The Ministers of God help us successfully live for the Lord. The Bible says in Romans 10:14
How can they hear without a preacher and how can he preach lest he be sent?
True ministers of God preach a powerful gospel, getting down in the trenches with people. Of all of the messages that ministers deliver, the Call to Salvation is the most important. As the words of the song say, we are indeed crossing over from life into eternity, one by one. People must be made aware that not only is it true that every man will die, they must be made aware that that includes them as well. I therefore, send this message to the saved, the unsaved, to the lost and all who are in danger of dying without God. We must all prepare for eternity now, while we are yet able to do so.
Let’s review for a moment mankind’s purpose for being here on Earth. We were created to fellowship and worship our Creator. We were created to worship God! God made man in His own image so that He could fellowship with us.
Gen. 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
As long as Adam, our forefather, was obedient to God, he had wonderful fellowship with God. However, when Adam and his wife Eve disobeyed God, sin entered into the equation and man’s fellowship with God was broken. A holy God could not tolerate sin and its punishment is death by way of Hell and the Lake of fire. Because of Adam’s and Eve’s original sin we were all destined for a life separated from God. We were destined to pay the penalty for our sins. But our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ paid our sin-debt so that we would not have to die for them. Jesus who knew no sin became sin and died a horrible death on Calvary’s hill so that that fellowship with God could be re-established. Accepting our Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only way that the debt of sin can be paid. Repentance and accepting Jesus are the only way that man can avoid Hell and the Lake of Fire.
We are to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, be filled with the Holy Ghost and live clean and holy lives that are pleasing to our God. In doing so we are able to make Him pleased with us through our fellowship with Him. Then, when we die, we are able to live with Him in peace throughout eternity.
Life has always been a precious gift from God, and death has always been possible at any time. But now, with the pestilence called COVID-19, it is more important than ever that we get saved, get ready for life after death and help others prepare as well. We must encourage all men to understand that God is in control of our lives, but we must be ready when our time comes to die. Meanwhile, we are to live for Him while you are here. If there is any good thing that can be said about COVID-19 it is that it has taught us that it is more important than ever, to be ready for eternity. Thank God that he is in control of life and death. We are in control of our obedience to Him.
Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we are grateful to You for all that You have done for us. We trust You with all that we have and all that we are, even to our very lives. We believe, O God that You are the Master of all things in the universe. We know that You and You alone control life and death. Thank You that we are able to trust You even with our very lives. And when our time comes to meet You our Maker, thank You for helping us to be ready when You are ready. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
