"But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you'"(Luke 12:20)

Each experience we have with death is chilling in its own way. At times we watch as a friend or relative slowly fades from life. Sometimes death is jarring and sudden, leaving us with questions and frustration. But always when we encounter death we have a few moments of intense clarity where we remember a disturbing fact we often push to the back of our minds: we too will die.

The Bible is clear in speaking of death's universality. The Hebrew writer explains that "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment"(Heb 9:27), while Solomon reminds us that "one event happens to the righteous and the wicked; to the good, the clean, and the unclean; to him who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner"(Eccl 9:2). Death, for us, is not a question of if, but when-if Christ tarries.

We are not promised or guaranteed any time on earth-from the youngest to the oldest of us. In fact, the Scripture warns us that even the longest lives are depressingly short. After lamenting that "we finish our years like a sigh"(Psalm 90:9), Moses prays "so teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom"(Psalm 90:12). James cautions us against trusting in our lives, which are "a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away"(James 4:14). Who can forget the last, gut-wrenching words the rich fool heard: "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you!"(Luke 12:20)? Though we may think we are immune, death will come to us too, and quickly.

We must note, however, that God does not intend this news to put us into a state of morbid dread and inactivity. Sure, we will die, but this should motivate us to use our time in the best way. "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"(Eccl 9:10). If we continue to put off the important things in our lives, we may never achieve them. Spiritual change, important words, and serious reflection must be done on this side of the grave-or we may have an eternity of regret.

The good news is that death is not the end. The Scriptures clearly teach that though the body may die, the soul lives on for eternity, whether in bliss or in torment. In Jesus Christ, we have someone who, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me"(Psalm 23:4). He has "(released) those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage"(Heb 2:15). With Christ's blood, we have no need to fear death. In the face of the death of His beloved friend Lazarus, Jesus told Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die"(John 11:25-26). True life-eternal life-is available through Jesus.

When you die, what is important will not be the words that are said. It will not be the number of people who mourn you. It will not be the fate of your money. What will matter then-and all that matters now-is whether your faith and hope are in Jesus Christ. Sure, we will die. Are you ready? ___Jacob Hudgins