Do we all have an appointed or chosen time to die? Does God control the timing of death, and when it happens is it always His will?
We have all heard it said, “You never know when it’s your time” or “God took him home.” When a baby dies they say that God must have wanted him. When tragedy strikes they ask, “Why did God allow this?”
They suggest He could have stopped it but He didn’t. In essence they are saying, “It’s your fault, God.” Is all of this rhetoric merely a man-made tradition, or is this taught in the Bible?
You may be surprised to find that this line of thinking is completely unbiblical. The Bible actually teaches that the length of our life largely depends on what we do and say. God’s plan for His children is for each of us to live a long life, and to finish our God-given assignment on the earth. Also true is a person can desire to go home to the Lord at a younger age but it would not be God’s best for him or her. His desire is for all of us to live longer in order to accomplish more for the kingdom.
Psalm 91:16 says, “With long life will I satisfy him.” If a Christian is satisfied to go home to heaven because of pain or despair, and they do not believe God will heal them, that is a choice. The promise of long life also does not belong to those who don’t know God, or the ones who live in willful disobedience.
We can also shorten our lives with poor eating habits, taking personal risks or making reckless decisions. Of course most people will experience some type of pain or loss or suffering in this life because we live in a broken world, and we are not immune to these trials and suffering. Satan is our enemy and he seeks to destroy us, steal from us and ultimately kill us. If he can’t find a way to destroy us, he will work to make us ineffective in our God-given assignment. We are in a war for our lives, our health, our families, our protection and our provision.
The good news is that the Bible promises us a long life if we do what His Word commands. Just a few examples from the Bible are as follows:
- Proverbs 3:2, Keep my commandments for length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee.
- Proverbs 3:13,16, Find wisdom…length of days is in her right hand.
- Proverbs 4:10, Hear and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many.
- Proverbs 10:27, The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
- Proverbs 14:27, The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
- Proverbs 19:23, The fear of the Lord tendeth to life, and he that hath it shall abide satisfied, he shall not be visited with evil.
- Proverbs 28:16, He that hates covetousness shall prolong his days.
- Ephesians 6:2, Honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
How we choose to live our lives directly affects our life span. We can increase it by obeying the Lord, knowing His Word and maintaining a reverential fear of Him. We can also shorten it by our actions, thoughts and behaviors.
There are many other aspects of our lives that impact our time here on earth. I encourage you to search the scriptures and discover all of ways you can live a long, healthy life based on the promises of God. Declare these promises over your life, and with His help you will live until you are satisfied, and finish your race for His glory.
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Bill Wiese is the author of New York Times best selling book, 23 Minutes In Hell, the story of his life-changing visit to hell in 1998. Bill has since authored six additional book titles, and continues to share his experience around the world. He and his wife Annette founded Soul Choice Ministries in late 2006 and have dedicated their lives to reaching the unsaved. For more information about Bill Wiese and Soul Choice Ministries please visit us at: https://soulchoiceministries.org/. You can find more of Bill’s teachings at: https://www.youtube.com/user/BillWieseTV.
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