Second Timothy 4:6
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.
What if Today Were Your Last Day?
I believe we should treat every day as if it might be our last. The last thing I say to my wife and children when I leave home or even when I go to bed is “I love you” because I never know, those words could be my last. In fact, what I am writing here could be the last thing I ever write, just as Paul’s last writing was the Book of 2 Timothy. What if you were a cancer patient and knew that you had only one day left to live? Who would you contact? What would you say to them? Not one of us knows when our last day will be, at least for the most part, and the day of our death may come when we least expect it. Everybody has that appointment (Heb. 9:27), but not everyone knows when that will be. This is all the more reason to redeem every day (Eph. 5:16), make every day count as if it were your last, and number every one of our days (Psalm 90:12).
Final Words
Every time I read Paul’s last letter to Timothy just prior to his death, it breaks my heart, as it seemed that everyone had deserted him. However, he still managed to pray that God wouldn’t hold it against them (2 Tim. 4:16). Paul knew that his life was about to end and that his departure from this life had come (2 Tim. 4:6), but in his final hours, at least the Lord was with him (2 Tim. 4:17). Paul had the opportunity that few of us will ever have. He knew when his last day would be, and he knew whom to write and what to say. What about us? What if we knew our life would end today? Whom would you call and what exactly would you say?
The Thief’s Last Day
The thief on the cross was in his final moments. He finally realized that he was going to die and be judged by God for his life (Luke 23:40), so he desperately cried out to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus said that on that very day he would be with Christ in paradise (Luke 23:43). The thief had a chance to believe at the very last hour, but many today still refuse to believe. I had an experience a few years ago that shook me somewhat. I went to our church elder’s house to speak with his father-in-law about Christ because he had never professed belief, and it appeared that he was about to die. I went through several Scriptures about what it meant to believe in Christ (Rom. 10:9-13, Acts 4:12, etc.). Thankfully, he did trust in Christ. Only three days later, this man passed away. What if I had delayed going over to visit him? What if I had put this off? This man’s last words were like those of the thief on the cross: “Remember me Jesus.” Today this man is with the Lord.
A Closing Prayer
Father, time is so fleeting that I can’t even be certain about tomorrow. Help me to make the most of my time for Your kingdom work and for Your glory, for nothing else matters, and in Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
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