From the Scriptures we know the tower in Siloam fell and killed eighteen men.  And, of course, the debate has always been, “Why did that happen?”  “Were they evil in life?”  Of course, that’s not something that pertains to the recent passing among us, but I’m just wanting you to see what the response was and the wisdom of God.  It wasn’t about these guys; apparently, in the natural course of life, being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Now, you can come up with all kinds of answers “The devil pushed it over,” “God pushed it over.”  All we know for certain is, it fell, eighteen people died, and the response, the thing to learn was, you’re going to die too, so you’d better be ready and start thinking about eternity.  “Are you prepared for your death?” is what the truth of that story brings us to.  It’s good for each and every one of us to look at ourselves and ask that question, “Where am I in this?  Where is my focus on eternity in my daily behavior?”  Let’s not take for granted that when your husband leaves the house, he’s coming home.  Why don’t you make sure he knows that you love him when he leaves the house?  Oh, if he dies with you having that little spat, or the cold shoulder, or something else that happened during that day or maybe even in the week—if he goes out there and has an accident on the way to work and he dies, he’s not going to remember any of that; but you’re going to regret it.  So why don’t we just do what we know to do: love one another, edify one another, thank God for that gift that has been given to you.  These are the things that we learn when we get a glimpse of eternity, when we’re confronted with our frailty.  This life is a vapor, amen?  It’s a vapor; it’s here and gone.

You can do all the “what if’s” you want. What if we would have been able to get ahold of somebody sooner?  What if this…?  Anything you did wouldn’t have mattered; our brother was scheduled to go home.  Amen?  Those are the things as we are living out our lives—and we don’t know that day, and God is surely is not going to reveal it to us.  But we know that the day is appointed.  We can look at it in so many ways.  How is it that there’s a plane crash and hundreds die, and one guy lives through this thing?  Freaky incidents taking place, and in our natural minds, people try to comprehend.

We need to understand the goodness of God, because when we can understand this, not only can we have a full rest, but when we’re confronted with these things, so often, we won’t put ourselves into a place where we begin to ask questions.  The day of your death is already designated while your’re in the womb.  Psalm 139:13 says “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought.  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”  In the Hebrew, “curiously wrought” is an interesting word; it literally means “to knit” or “to embroider.”  What it’s saying is this: while you’re still being formed in your mother’s womb, there is a blueprint; there’s DNA.  There’s the sovereignty of God.  “Curiously wrought” means “the making of a tapestry.”  Your life, every day of it, every hour of it, every step you take, every breath you draw, is in that tapestry, and it is already set forth, even the day of your death.  It’s appointed.  It’s already determined, amen?