Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring-what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.   James 4:13-14 HCSB

While this year has been interesting to say the least, it seems to have flown by. It seemed like we were celebrating the New Year coming in and suddenly it was Christmas. As we say good-bye to 2020 with hopes of 2021 being much better, I can’t help but think of the friends that we have lost this year, many due to COVID-19. In my situation it is not friends that I spoke with each day but friends that I used to work with and saw from time to time. One that I grew up in church with that passed away a few weeks ago. What I have found so alarming is that dying used to be something we thought people did when they were older. The obituaries used to be mostly older people with only a few younger people from the occasional car wreck or terminal illness. I have noticed more and more that people my age, and no that’s not that old, and younger are filling up the obituaries.

I think about the last time I saw these friends. I think about the gentle nudging that I got to share God’s word, but how I stopped short thinking I would talk to them at a better time. That time never came. Before I saw them again, they were gone. My prayer is that they were gone to be with the Lord, but I honestly don’t know.

None of us know what our future holds, but it is important that we are in close relationship with the One who holds our future. I strive to stay in close relationship with Jesus, but I must admit that I fall short at times when it comes to sharing the gospel. It’s easy to do hidden here behind my keyboard, but out in the public face to face is another matter.

I can’t tell you how many times I have felt the need to share the gospel with a friend or relative, but have allowed the devil to stop me from doing so. I listen to him when he tells me that they won’t listen. I listen to him when he tells me that they will just turn away and I will lose a friendship. I listen when he tells me that I can just wait and do it later. Sadly, I have learned that later may be too late.

If you are not in a close personal relationship with your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I encourage you to turn to Him today. Trust in Him and call on Him. He is waiting for you with open arms. Answer His call to salvation and live a life of obedience to Him. Don’t put this off until tomorrow because tomorrow may be too late.

None of us like to think about death and dying, but it is a natural part of life. We are each given so much time here on earth and none of us know how long that will be. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that it has been appointed once for man to die and that salvation is offered once. However, when the Messiah returns it will not be to bear our sins but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. You only have the time here on earth to accept His salvation.

If you are living life as you please thinking you have plenty of time, you might want to think again. I feel sure that my friends felt as though they had plenty of time. I thought they did. I think I have plenty of time, but we could all be wrong. We have no idea when we will die or when the Lord will return. So I beg of you today, don’t let another minute pass without talking to the Lord. Tell Him what’s in your heart and what you are thinking; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Ask Him to help you with your belief and fill you with His Holy Spirit.

I don’t know if my friends who have died this year are waiting for me in heaven. I hope they are. What I do know is that with two of them, I felt the need to speak to them about their relationship with the Lord and I decided to do it later. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that opportunity.

Don’t wait, there is an urgent need for us to be in close, personal relationship with Him. If you are secure in your relationship with Christ, then help others. It’s kind of like using oxygen on an airplane. If you are not secure, then secure your relationship with Him first and then help others.

The time is now because later may be too late.

Have a great day!