From a Dying Man to Dying Men
"It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting,
because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart."
Ecclesiastes 7:2
Last night I spent some time with a dying man. He has been placed on hospice care now that the doctors have no more treatments for the cancer inside his body. He looked weak and expressed to me that the pain comes and goes. Some days are good while others are rough. This coming Friday he is traveling to see some relatives, probably for the last time. Yet in the midst of this somber situation I could not help but note his positive tone. Quite often he spoke of being blessed with a roof over his head while some had no such luxury. More often he spoke of the assurance Christ has given to him. At one point he made the assertion that it is impossible to imagine how anyone lives without Jesus at the center of their being. Immediately my mind raced back to a conversation I had just prior to this visit concerning a young woman who balks at the concept of surrender to Jesus Christ. I wondered if in the same situation she would speak with such confidence about the course of her life. She has no concept of the reality of death as does the man riddled with cancer. Perhaps she would do well to take the truth of Ecclesiastes 7:2 more seriously. We are all dying men. The days of our life are set and can not be lengthened by one day despite our most strenuous exertion. A time is coming when we will pass and meet our Maker. It is best for the living to take this unchangeable truth to heart. The man with whom I spoke last night is a dying man who speaks what all dying men need to hear – there is life in Jesus Christ and without Him hope can not exist. There is a perspective to gain from spending time in the house of mourning, and the message spoken of in that residence should shape the way we exist in the house of the living.
because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart."
Ecclesiastes 7:2
Last night I spent some time with a dying man. He has been placed on hospice care now that the doctors have no more treatments for the cancer inside his body. He looked weak and expressed to me that the pain comes and goes. Some days are good while others are rough. This coming Friday he is traveling to see some relatives, probably for the last time. Yet in the midst of this somber situation I could not help but note his positive tone. Quite often he spoke of being blessed with a roof over his head while some had no such luxury. More often he spoke of the assurance Christ has given to him. At one point he made the assertion that it is impossible to imagine how anyone lives without Jesus at the center of their being. Immediately my mind raced back to a conversation I had just prior to this visit concerning a young woman who balks at the concept of surrender to Jesus Christ. I wondered if in the same situation she would speak with such confidence about the course of her life. She has no concept of the reality of death as does the man riddled with cancer. Perhaps she would do well to take the truth of Ecclesiastes 7:2 more seriously. We are all dying men. The days of our life are set and can not be lengthened by one day despite our most strenuous exertion. A time is coming when we will pass and meet our Maker. It is best for the living to take this unchangeable truth to heart. The man with whom I spoke last night is a dying man who speaks what all dying men need to hear – there is life in Jesus Christ and without Him hope can not exist. There is a perspective to gain from spending time in the house of mourning, and the message spoken of in that residence should shape the way we exist in the house of the living.
posted by Eric @ 1:47 PM
2 Comments:
Last night in my town, an F1 touched down briefly a quarter mile from my house. Tree damage, fences, thankfully no injuries or house destruction. Major lightening storm, high winds, thunder, hard rain. The power of nature.
Rather, the power of God. In a small boat, his one voice said "Peace be still." And suddenly the men in the boat feared something worse than a similar storm.
I felt the same way last night. One wonders if this storm may be the last, just in case the F1 swoops down on you. And I found myself fearing appearing before the One Maker more than anything else. Healthy? I pray so, though I need to pray more fervently and ask the Spirit to give me a hunger for His Word more - in order that the fear turns more into longing and desire.
Thanking you for another great post. We do not know how long we have here on earth. We must all try to live a good life and along the way help those that need help.
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