Certainly, our hearts are still grieving over the loss of life in the tragic floods that swept through parts of Texas on Independence Day. And, as I mentioned last week, grieving is a part of life, but for those who know Jesus as Savior, we can grieve with the hope of eternal life, not only for ourselves, but also for our loved ones who also know Christ.
Just in case you missed it, last week I directed our attention to the various aspects of God’s will: His Decretive Will; His Perfect Will; and His Permissive Will, the last one dealing with the fact that although God remains omnipotent (all-powerful), there are certain things that God allows to happen for His divine purposes to be worked out. And then we tackled the “Why” questions and focused on Job, who also wrestled with the same questions that we ask. Job finally confessed that he had been complaining about things that he didn’t understand but opened his heart and mind for God to teach him about His character and purposes. If you missed last week’s blog, let me recommend that you check it out.
Moving beyond questions regarding God’s will, we are all aware that the floods in Texas came suddenly and without warning. No one who lost their life was planning on July 4th being their last day on planet earth. Also, just over two weeks ago, I was informed that Martha Chan, the Founder and President of Educational Resources and Referrals – China, suddenly and unexpectedly died of a massive stroke following her attendance at church that morning. Martha was the one who provided the opportunity and encouragement for Peggy and me to live and teach in China from 2011-2013. And, for many years after our return from China, I served with Martha as the Director of Personnel Development, recruiting new teachers and serving as the “pastor” to our teachers on the field, which involved Peggy and me visiting them in China each semester during their teaching assignment. Peggy and I are indebted to Martha for many things, and I am so grateful to have served with her over the years. We will miss her immensely.
So, what does it mean to be “caught off guard?” The simplest definition is that someone is surprised in a way that they were not expecting or prepared for, and this phrase can have both physical and spiritual implications. The likely origin of the phrase comes from the sport of fencing (or sword-fighting). The phrase “on guard” means that the competition is ready to begin, and both fencers assume a defensive posture, waiting for an opportunity to take the offensive. And so, to catch someone “off guard” means to attack them when they are unprepared and have “let down” their guard. In a real-life sword fight with real weapons, being “caught off guard” could likely cost the person his or her life.
As many of you recall, Jesus told the story of a man who, following a bumper crop from his fields, was making plans to retire and live a life of ease and pleasure (Luke 12:16-21). He had no regard for others and no regard for God. Jesus said to the man,
“You fool. This very night your life will be taken from you” (vs. 20).
Jesus didn’t go around calling people “fools,” but He certainly did this man in the parable. He disregarded God throughout his life, thinking only of himself, and in the end, he died unexpectedly, alone and without God. His physical life was unexpectedly taken from Him, and he suddenly stood before God having rejected Him his entire life. As a result, God gave him what he wanted during his life on earth, that is, a life without God. But this time, it was for eternity.
The Bible speaks of life being short, like a shadow that shows up as the sun rises and then disappears after sunset. And as we have just seen in Jesus’ parable, it is also uncertain. None of us know how long we have on this earth. Death could come at any moment. And that’s why we need to have our spiritual bags packed if we are to enter the Father’s House (see John 14:1-6). For each of us, our spiritual bags include acknowledging that Christ died on the cross for our sins, and then taking the step of genuine repentance over a life lived without God. Such repentance is followed by confessing (acknowledging) our sins before God and then with an act of faith, asking Him to forgive our sins and transform our lives by His indwelling Holy Spirit.
Friends, none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Let’s get “right” with God now. If you have never done so, Jesus, is waiting for you to repent and come to Him, confessing your sins, asking for forgiveness and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. His blood shed on the cross paid the price for all of your sins, so please, take advantage of this amazing gift before you are “caught off guard!” And, by the way, His gift is one that lasts for eternity.
May the Lord extend His blessings to each one of you.
