The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 22 November 2023 – Certainty Of Death
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TOPIC: Certainty Of Death
READ: Ecclesiastes 9 (NKJV)
- For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works [are] in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred [by] anything [they see] before them.
- All things [come] alike to all: One event [happens] to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so [is] the sinner; He who takes an oath as [he] who fears an oath.
- This [is] an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing [happens] to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness [is] in their hearts while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.
- But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
- For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.
- Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun.
- Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.
- Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil.
- Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that [is] your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
- Whatever your hand finds to do, do [it] with your might; for [there is] no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
- I returned and saw under the sun that — The race [is] not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
- For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men [are] snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.
- This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it [seemed] great to me:
- [There was] a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it.
- Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.
- Then I said: “Wisdom [is] better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom [is] despised, And his words are not heard.
- Words of the wise, [spoken] quietly, [should be] heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
- Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good.”
THE MESSAGE:
An old man asked a young boy, “What are you going to do with your life?” The young boy replied, “I am going to university and get a degree.” The old man then asked, “What then?” The boy replied, “I am going to Lagos, get a good job and get married.” The old man asked, “Then what?” The boy replied, “I guess after I grow old, I will die.” The old man looked at the young boy and said, “What then?” The boy had no answer. Verses 2 and 3 reveal what we all know, yet the thing we try to forget and that is, all of us must surely die! For all the frustration that exists in life, there is one equalizer of life: Every person must die! There is nothing a person can do to avoid this reality. People live their lives forgetting that everyone must face the day of death. Our lives will drastically change if we constantly live under the awareness that death can await us at any moment. Humans like to assume they will live long whereas nobody knows what will happen tomorrow (James 4:14).
Many of us would make different decisions in life if we keep in mind that at any moment, we would stand before God’s judgment seat. God created man to have eternal fellowship with Him but the choice to accept His love is in your hands (John 3:16). Your relationship with Jesus here on earth will dictate where you will spend eternity.
PRAYER: Almighty God, grant me the grace to die to sin and live holy living, Amen
