It was a hot, sultry day in the jungles of Vietnam in 1968. Even though bombs were falling nearby, my buddy Brian chose to leave himself carelessly exposed to injury or death. He was lying in a dry rice paddy with his upper body propped up on a rice paddy dike. His elbows rested on the dike and his chin rested on his hands.
Occasionally a large shard of steel would break away from the exploding bombs and fly through the air. This speeding weapon of death made an eerie whistling sound which increased in pitch as it came closer. In spite of the occasional noise of shards flying about, Brian refused to get down to safety.
We don’t like to think about death, but we know that traveling in cars or just walking down the street can bring each one of us very close to death. Death cannot be avoided, but are you ready if your time comes today? It is surprising how many people do not care what comes after death. God has said, “It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). This judgment is for the sins that we have all committed, but God has prepared a way for you and me to have our sins forgiven. It is through the death of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who bore the punishment on the cross for the sins of those who will accept Him as their Saviour. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)).
We had all been warned to take cover, but Brian, the soldier who didn’t care, came very close to death that hot day. After one explosion a shard of steel came whistling louder and closer by the second. Then suddenly the bomb fragment slashed across the flesh of both of Brian’s forearms!
Looking up from the rice paddy after hearing the noise, I was shocked to see Brian alive but with blood streaming down his arms. We fixed him up as best we could with our first aid supplies and called in a helicopter for transportation to the base hospital. Brian did not act the slightest bit affected by his brush with death. I watched with amazement as he sauntered down to the helicopter landing zone. He didn’t seem to care at all.
My hope is that you will not be careless about death and the judgment that comes afterward for those who are still in their sins. “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:1212Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. (Amos 4:12)). Prepare now while you can by believing that Jesus loves you and died for you. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:77Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. (Romans 4:7)).
ML-05/23/1999