The story is told of a Midwestern farmer who needed a hired hand. After trying several hired workers, he began to despair of ever finding the right man. While in town one day, he learned of a newcomer in town who was in need of work. Arranging to meet the man, the farmer was delighted to discover the man’s interest in hiring on.
During the course of their talk, the farmer asked the newcomer, "What makes you qualified to work on my farm?" The man answered, "I can sleep at night." While that did not sound too promising, the farmer was desperate for help and he hired the man.
That evening, a terrible thunderstorm erupted. Awakened by a thunderous clap, the farmer ran through the rain and pounded on the bunkhouse door. To the farmer’s consternation, the newcomer slept on; through the thunder and door pounding, the man slept on. Muttering to himself that he would attend to the recalcitrant hired man at the morning’s first light, he set out through the driving rain to secure his property.
To the farmer’s amazement, the barn doors were securely closed, the haystack was well covered, the tractor was put away in the shed, and the barnyard tools were secured within the tool-shed. Since there was nothing to do, the farmer shrugged and returning to his bed, fell asleep.
With the morning’s first light and the crowing of faithful rooster, the farmer arose. As as he looked out of the bedroom window, he noticed the new hired hand, washing his face in the pail at the base of the barnyard water pump. And then, it occurred to him, not only did the new hired man sleep well the past night, but after he had proven his doubt to be misplaced, the farmer slept well, too.
I wonder, how well do you sleep at night?
Life is about preparation. Whether we are involved in domestic or financial enterprise, there is nothing more important to insure a positive outcome than preparation. Just think of how many marriages could be saved if only the two parties devoted even a small amount of time in preparation for the obligations that marriage involves.
Too many people are content to live at the edge of a bare existence, when with just a small amount of preparation and forethought, they could enjoy a better life with greater security and a deeper confidence that hard times will not destroy them.
The example of Joseph, as told in Genesis 37-50 is an excellent example of how one can move beyond the fences of a meager future to enjoy the confidence of kings and insure the well-being of those for whom one is responsible. What is most important is to see that in his preparations for life, Joseph never forgot God.
You see, there is no substantive preparation for life that does not include God. This life is not all there is, but after this life what will you do? Where will you be? What provision will have been made for you?
The writer of Hebrews said, "…it is appointed for men to die once…" (9:27). Everyone will eventually die. That is the great irony of life. David said, "As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away." However long – or short – is your life, the one great reality is that life is a terminal experience. You will not make it out of here alive.
What preparations are you making for death? Several years ago, as a college student in Tampa, Florida, I was greatly privileged to work in the funeral business. There were many times, as an apprentice for the funeral directors of the B. Marion Reed Chapels in Tampa FL, that I met those who had made no preparation for death.
We dealt with people whose loved ones had died from dreaded diseases, having made absolutely no preparation for their disposal when life came to an end. It was in that moment that I wondered why people did not prearrange for their deaths, insuring that their loved ones would not be left with the hard and sometimes impossible decisions that come with the death of a loved one?
One of the supervising funeral directors explained to me the several pre-arrangement options available to clients, but then he said something that has stuck with me in the intervening years. He said, "If the only thing people did was inform their families about such things as to their preference for burial or cremation, the songs they want sung or where they want to be buried, our job would be easier." Why don’t more people prepare their families for the hard decisions they will sometime be forced to make?
Still more important, why do not more people realize that though life is a terminal proposition – you won’t make it out alive – it is also not the end. For, though life is short and death is sure, there is yet something for every person.
In the second part of Hebrews 9:27, the writer said, "after this (death) comes judgment." We don’t like to think of death because we don’t like to think of judgment. If death was merely a transition of no consequence, no one would worry about it at all. But, one thing is evident in this world of dying people: There are a LOT of people who are having trouble facing the uncertainty of their futures!
Many Biblical characters saw life in its proper place and recognized the eventuality of death. Accordingly, they carried little, if any, concern about judgement. Esther is an example of such a person. When confronted with the problem of a likely death for presenting herself before the king without an invitation, she told Mordecai, her uncle, "Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me…And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish" (4:16).
Paul is another example of one whom, in spite of his considerable standing in this world, saw the futility of confidence in the flesh. He wrote, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:8-11).
As the time for his execution drew near, he wrote to Timothy, "…the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
Life is about preparation. For life. For death. For judgment.
For the faithful, life is about preparation for heaven. Unfortunately, for all others there is no adequate preparation. There is only a certain, fearful expectation of judgment that will swiftly come on those who will not serve God.
How well do you sleep at night?