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The news of people dying in recent times has just been overwhelming. It does not really matter if the death is as a result of the deadly Covid-19 virus or due to any other reason. The impact is the same. The sense of loss we usually feel is immense, especially when the departed souls are relatives, friends or close acquaintances. These deaths however help to bring to our consciousness the inevitability of death. When people close to our age begin to die of illnesses or natural courses, the deaths are proverbs directed at us. While we live our lives daily without paying any attention to death, the truth is that death is lurking at the corner because there is only one second between living and dying. One thing is sure, we are alive because God still has assignments for us to accomplish. While we were praying online on Monday night and trying to console ourselves with the word of God in John 14:1-2 after learning of yet another death, one of the Ministers said – there is a mansion being prepared for each of us in our Father’s house; whenever yours is ready, the Lord will call you home – again confirming the inevitability of death.
The word of God in Psalm 66:8-9 says “Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.” Our God is worthy. Only He can and has kept us alive. When we leave our house in the morning, only God knows for sure if we will return in the evening. When we sleep at night, only He knows for certain that we will wake up in the morning. Were it not for God, where would we be today? He is the reason we are living. It is in Him we live and move and have our being – Acts 17:28.
So, my brothers and sisters, if you woke up this morning hale and hearty, know that it is because there is more work for you to do. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” We know we cannot save ourselves no matter what kind of good works we do. When He keeps us here, it is because He still has a lot in stock for us to accomplish. For “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). So, if today you are still breathing, it is because God still has something for you to do for His glory. If we are alive, God has a purpose for us.
He is the reason we are living. Paul tells us that while we are at it, we should also remember to be renewed or transformed in our minds so that we can avoid being conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2). He also wrote that he had “been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). It is a privilege to be alive. While we are alive, we must continue to abide in Him and He in us. And the word of God says if we say we abide in Christ (John 15:1-7), then we ought to walk in the very same way that He walked (1 John 2:6). That is the goal while we are still alive: to become more Christ-like, hopefully more and more with each passing day, so that just maybe our efforts to live a righteous life here will earn us a mansion in the hereafter.
My brothers and sisters, wherever you are and by happenstance you received this message and you are reading it, then you are still alive. God must have an assignment for you. My assignment is different from yours and yours is different from mine. Maybe your assignment is to witness God’s grace to someone, maybe your assignment is to encourage somebody, maybe your assignment is to just share the joy of Christ with the downhearted or maybe you are alive today just because he is not done molding you into what He wants you to be. For whatever reason God is keeping you today, I want you to know that He is the reason you are living. Our Lord Jesus has prepared a mansion for you where He is, but earning that mansion depends on how you lived here and whether you fulfilled your purpose. So, brothers and sisters, let us live our lives with that Mansion in view by showing our appreciation to God almighty with a heart of gratitude and continuing to live our lives as people who know that the reason we stay alive is to worship, glorify, and honor Him. It is all about Him, it is all for Him. The reason we are still here is to please Him.
– Pastor Simbo Odunaiya
