Prepare to Die Well “After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the - TopicsExpress

Prepare to Die Well “After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died...” (Joshua 24:29-33, NIV) This final section of the book records the death of Joshua the general, Eleazar the high priest, and the elders of the tribes of Israel. It says that while they were living, the people of Israel obeyed and served God and they were each buried in the land of their inheritance. No one wants to die. Yet it’s something that we must all prepare for. Everyone loves planning for good life—good education, good health, loving family, giving back to the community. We all plan to live well, but do you think about planning to die well? Dying is part of living. It says in today’s passage, “After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died.” It also says that Eleazar the high priest and the elders of the tribes of Israel also died and was buried in the land of their inheritance. You live within the timeframe God has given you, and when that time expires you die. However, God has promised to those who trust in Him that death is not the end but a new beginning. It’s a beginning of eternal life with God. Life before death is temporary and life after death is eternal. Life before death is just a preparation for life after death. People who spend their lives investing in life before death dreads dying. Their treasures are stored away on earth and they know that they cannot take it with them beyond death. Some people prepare for life after death through religion, imagination, good deeds, denial of God’s existence, scientific proof, pep talks, or being simply courageous about it. No one wants to face death, but it comes to us all. You have no saying whatsoever as to when it will come, how it will come, and why it will come. You do, however, have the power to choose how you will die. The best way to plan for good death is to live a good life before God. It says, “Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel.” In other words, Joshua and the elders’ death were meaningful because they lived meaningfully for God in their lifetime. I believe that King David’s epitaph sums it up really well: “For David served God’s purpose in his own time, and then he died” (Acts 13:36, Good News). What a beautiful testimony. What a beautiful life lived for God and death that glorifies Him. So don’t just prepare to die, but prepare to die well.