The Brevity of Life

[Fragrant Grace]

Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
Psalm 144:4


Greetings brothers and sisters

I just wanted to share a little with you....

Working as a nurse there are many encounters with death - it's one of the less enjoyable part of the job.

Recently a 55 year old gentleman who I had known for over 3 years collapsed and died suddenly. Later seeing him laid to rest in his coffin....he looked at perfect peace. The mortician had done a very good job on making his face look calm and natural. He could have been sleeping.

Dealing with his grieving family....words were hard to find. So I found oneself saying...."he's at rest now" "he went quickly there was no suffering"

But reality has hit me in the face more than ever before.
This gentleman was not a professing Christian....only the Lord knows whether he was ever saved.

That cold peaceful corpse has now left time and entered eternity and must at a later day face the Lord.

In a world where professional boundaries disallow the sharing of the gospel I am put to shame by my lack of caring for his soul.

All the bodily care in the world is not enough....and his passing from time to eternity too late to care now.

Dear Lord awaken a burning compassion in us for the lost. Burn brightly in and through us....make winning souls and serving the Lord our passion and priority

BRIGHTLY beams our Father’s mercy
From his lighthouse evermore;
But to us he gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

Refrain:
Let the lower lights be burning,
Send a gleam across the wave;
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

Dark the night of sin has settled,
Loud and angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor seaman, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbour,
In the darkness may be lost.





Hymn by PP Bliss 1874

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings,

BRIGHTLY beams our Father’s mercy
From His lighthouse evermore;
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

This brings to mind a couple of things

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:2

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Corinthians 10:5

And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour.
John 12:23-26

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15

And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
Acts 4:18

And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Acts 5:40

But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
Acts 4:19-20

And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
Acts 10:42

If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us:
2Timothy 2:12

Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
John 6:60

For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying,
I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
Acts 13:47-48

@Fragrant Grace
I feel for you in your situation regarding the passing of this man. However, don't beat yourself .... The Lord has taken the beating for you. Press on and....


Bless you ....><>