Anyone who has ever prepared for a long vacation knows well the necessity of very careful planning. Schedules are set, places to stay are reserved, and clothing is carefully chosen and neatly packed. Sufficient medication must be taken along, and maps and itineraries are reviewed again and again. Meals are planned ahead, pets must be cared for, and the house left behind must be made secure with plans in place for mail deliveries, etc. There are dozens of things that go into planning an extended vacation. If one item is not covered, it can turn a relaxing time away into a nightmare.
For Christians, life is much like planning for a vacation. It means preparing ourselves for the moment when we will leave this earth and enter eternal life in heaven. How do we prepare for such an undertaking?
All vacations have a starting date. We mark it on a calendar. It’s the day the vacation begins, the day everything must be in order and ready to go. Life, however, provides no such luxury. Our day of death is not known to us, even though it is clearly marked on God’s calendar. “The living know that they will die” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Scripture clearly points out that our lives are short and fleeting.
“Our days on earth are like a shadow.” 1 Chronicles 29:15
“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle.” Job 7:6
“My days are swifter than a runner.” Job 9:25
“Each man’s life is but a breath.” Psalm 39:5
“You are a mist that appears for a little while.” James 4:14
Hezekiah is an example of someone who died young. He was only 54 years old. At age 39, while suffering illness, God came to him and said, “You are going to die; you will not recover” (2 Kings 20:1). That declaration included these striking words, “Put your house in order” (20:1).
Think about those words. How might King Hezekiah go about putting his house in order? More important, how might we go about putting our houses in order?
Our physical houses may need some attention. The windows may need washing; the bills may need to be paid, but that is not what the Lord’s command is all about. He is speaking here about our spiritual houses. Are they in order? The world is filled with people who are concerned about the many busy areas of their lives yet pay no attention to the readiness of their souls. Jesus reminds us of the rich man who built bigger barns to protect his things. God told him that his time had run out, “This very night your life will be demanded from you” (Luke 12:20).
Might it be wise for us to take inventory of the condition of our spiritual houses? Where do we currently stand in relation to God? Have we been faithfully exercising and nourishing our souls, or are they in the same shape they were in when God first loaned them to us? Is our prayer life active and thriving, or has it become rusty and stale? Have we been devoting time to grow in God’s Word, or have we been content with the status quo?
Hezekiah was given an additional 15 years to live. Those additional years exposed many problems and presented much grief for him, including fathering a son who would become the wickedest king to ever rule over Judah. Since 15 years were promised, Hezekiah knew his day of destiny with the Lord. We do not. Let us strive to always live today as if it were our last day on earth. Meanwhile, let us practice good stewardship of our souls by feeding them and caring for them. Let us constantly seek God’s presence in our lives. Then we can be confident that our trip will have been well planned. We will have put our houses in order for that blessed time to come.
When my last hour is close at hand, Lord Jesus Christ, attend me. Amen.
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