If You Had Only One Day To Live

What If You Will Die Tomorrow?
"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1)

"And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come,
he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through."
(Luke 12:39)
What would you do today, if you knew you would die tomorrow?

Think about that!
What would you do if you had only one day to live!

What would you do with that one day?
Maybe you would spend it doing something you had always wanted to do,
but had never gotten the chance.
Maybe you would choose to spend it with family and friends.
Maybe you would want to spend that one day fulfilling some fantasy,
or perhaps it would be spent as had every other day of your life had been spent.

If you had only one day to live, how would you spend it?
I looked on the Internet and found the comments of what some have said they would do
if they had only one day to live.

One person said, "Just one more time, I would ask the girl I love to marry me
and my life would have been worth living, if she said yes."

Another person said: "I would spend it with the love of my life for over 25 years,
and perhaps for an hour or so have my closest family members and 1-2 close friends
to come by to say goodbye."

One man said, "I would spend all my money on booze, marijuana and ecstasy and have sex
with loose women all day long.
Why not, I'm gonna die anyway, might as well go out with a bang."

Another person said: "I would rejoice, because I would be going Home.
I would spend the rest of my day, seeing my Family members and spending time with family.
I would only be sad about their heart ache, but I would be assured that they will be okay
because they know I am going Home."

Another person said: "Nothing. I would change nothing.
I would live my life that day as I do every day..doing what I enjoy.
Why manufacture an artificial life for one day?
That makes no sense to me at all!"

Then, one person said: "I'd get a second opinion."

The Bible tells us of some who made changes when they were facing an immediate judgment.
For instance, when Nathan told David the child would die, David went to extreme measures.
(2 Sam 12:14-18)

When Elijah told Ahab that God was going to judge him severely, he became terrified.
(1 Kings 21:20-29)

When Hezekiah was told to put his house in order to die, he wanted some extra time.
(Isaiah 38:1-3,9-20)

When the king of Nineveh was told he had forty days to live, he decided to repent.
(Jonah 3:5-9).

When the rich man that Jesus told about in Luke 16, he wished that he had known he was dying,
then, he would have lived a better life. (Luke 16:22-26)

We don't know if we will live one more day!
No one knows the day of his or her death, which may come unexpectedly.
(Proverbs 27:1)

In a church where I was a pastor in Texas -- on a Saturday evening -- a 19 year old Christian
studied his Sunday School lesson for Sunday morning.
After he has finished his study, he got into his pickup truck, and drove into town for a date
with his girl friend.
As he came to some railroad tracks, his truck slid on a slick street, and he crashed
into a power pole and died instantly.
He had no ideal that would be his last day on earth.

On a Sunday night following the evening service, I was standing at the back door
seeing people out, and one of our most faithful members came by, and told me that
he would be having surgery in the morning to remove a brain tumor.
The next morning I went to the hospital to see him and to have prayer with him
before his surgery.
I will never forget what he said to me, as they were ready to take him to surgery.
He said, "Pastor, I will see you in the morning."

He expected to come through the surgery, and be back with his wife and four children.
He never regained consciousness.
He never expected that would be the last time he would see his family on this earth.
I will see him in God's morning for he was ready to meet God.

Moses said that we should number our days, count them one by one, in order to be wise.
(Psalm 90:12)

When you are down to only one day left to live, there will not be time to then live the way
you should have.
Jonathan Edwards made a resolution at the age of 18-20 to live each day as if it were the last.

What would you do differently today, if you knew that you will die tomorrow?
Would you start searching God's Word for the assurance that you need?
Would you start praying to God with fervent weeping?

Would you make peace and express deep affection for your spouse, and family and friends?
Would you hit the "off" button on the radio or television, and turn to God for His help?.
Would you try to get serious about loving the Lord?
Would you express your love to God, and ask for His mercy and forgiveness?

Or, would you still foolishly procrastinate like Governor Felix under Paul's preaching.
(Acts 24:25)
I believe that you would be listening intently to this sermon.
I don't think that you would say one negative thing about others today.
I don't believe that all the trivial things that bother you now would bother you,
if today were your last day on this earth.

I believe that you would hold your loved ones close, and thank them for the good things
that they have done for you.
I believe that you would have a serious talk to your children about greater things
than their homework or cleaning their room.

I believe that you would honor and obey your parents with great love, if you were to die tomorrow.
I believe that your priorities would change in your use of your limited time,
and that you would value every minute that you had left.
I believe that you would be absolutely content with the things you already have, if you were dying.

I also believe that your mind will not be focused on idle thoughts in your last hours..
All of the politics, business, and all worldly matters would fade from your mind
in the face of your last day of life on this earth.

We can be certain that one day soon, maybe even today or tomorrow you will die.
There is only one way to prepare for the day before the day you will die, live as if it were today!
You will die tomorrow!

Whether it is tomorrow or another tomorrow, you will die tomorrow!
When tomorrow arrives, it will be too late to make any corrections as to how you have lived
the thousands of days that God has given you. days!

What an opportunity you have today!
I am warning you to live today for death tomorrow, so you can make the needed preparation.

Paul faced death often (Acts 14:19; II Cor 4:11; 11:23), and this caused him to live
righteously and to die with assurance that he would be in heaven with Jesus.
(2 Cor 5:8-11; Phil 1:21-23; 2 Tim 1:12; 4:6-8).

In Psalm 84:10-12 David said: "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.
I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory:
no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee."

In these verses David talks about his decision, and the reasons why he feels this way.
As we look at these 3 verses, think about the words, "If I Only Had One Day!"

David tells us that he had rather be the lowly door keeper in the House of God
than to enjoy the all the wealth and luxury of evil.
David was saying that if his life was about to end, he wanted to be found serving the Lord.

The greatest thing anyone can say is that he is being faithful to the task to which
God has called him.
If I had one day to live I would want to be found in my place of service doing
what the Lord has called me to do!

When I was about 11 years old, I was attending Wednesday night prayer meeting
in our church.
Our pastor would ask someone each service to give a personal testimony.
On this particular night, the teacher of our Adult Men's Class in Sunday School
stood and gave his testimony.

I will always remember one thing that he said.
It was "When the Lord calls me home, I want Him to find me serving Him."

You could see that man going up and down the streets around our church carrying
his large Bible, and visiting men who needed Jesus as their Saviour.
The next day -- Thursday ... I saw him in the neighborhood visiting.
He went home and in an hour he was dead.
He was doing what he testified -- he died after his regular visitation.
He didn't know that would be his last day on earth.

If I had just one day to live, I would want to live it while doing the Lord's will for my life.
There is no higher calling than that of simply being where and what the Lord wants you to be!
Nothing is more satisfying than serving the Lord, and knowing that you are in His will.
If I had but one day to live, I'd still want to be found in my place serving my loving Lord!
What about you?

If you knew that tomorrow would be your last day upon the earth, what would you do?

F. B. Meyer, the well-known preacher and author, just before his death wrote these words to his wife:
"Dear, I have just learned, to my surprise, that I have only a few days to live.
It may be that before this reaches you, I will have entered into the Palace.
Don't trouble to write. We shall meet in the morning."

2 Kings 20:1 says: "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death.
And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him,
Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live."

I read about a man named Jack Clauson who was was digging a grave in Clairton, Iowa.
He was not aware that he was digging his own grave.

This sixty-year-old Evergreen Cemetery worker was shoveling dirt out of a grave into a box
to be hauled away, when the side of the box collapsed.
The dirt crashed back into the grave, burying Clauson.
Before he could be rescued, he died of suffocation.
He literally had dug his own grave.
Jack Clauson did not know that that day would be his last day of life.
This fatal accident reemphasizes the warning of our text,
"Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live."
This was the warning of God to King Hezekiah.

Hezekiah had ruled his people for many years long and was a good king.
Under God's miraculous intervention, he had led them to a great victory over Assyria
in one of Israel's bloodiest wars.
He had made great alliances with mighty foreign powers of his day.
This great king had administered one of the richest kingdoms in Israel's history.

But then he received the inevitable, inescapable call from God, "Thou shalt die."
Although his death was postponed, it was inevitable, and preparation was commanded.
God has given us the same warning.

You will either be ready and become a Christian, or you will be lost.
The apostle Paul did not say he was almost ready.
He said, I am ready.
Are you ready?

There are many Christians who will tell you that they are not ready to die today,
but they are going to get ready.

I seriously considered what would a Christian need to do to be ready to meet God.
A Christian may be ready, and at the same time, have unfinished business.
So, here are some questions to consider.

Are all of your relationships in good order?
Does your husband, your children and your loved ones know that you really love them?

In one of the churches that I pastored was one of the most dedicated Christian couples
that I have ever known.
My wife and I had been in the home on many nice occasions, and were impressed
with how they seemed to love and respect each other.

Then, one Sunday morning, he was at church without her.
After the service, he asked me to stay for he wanted to talk with me.
He told me that his wife was leaving him.
I was shocked.

They had two children in college, and I thought of how this would affect them.
He didn't know what had brought this on.
She also told him that she didn't want to talk with me.

But the next day, she called me, and asked me to come over, and I did.
She told me that she was leaving him because she didn't believe that he loved her.
She said that she would prepare a good supper for him every night when he came home from work.
And he never expressed his appreciation to her, and then, he would sit in his easy chair,
and read the newspaper.
He would go to sleep in his chair, and then, get up and go to bed.
She said this had gone on for years, and he never told her that he loved her.

I went back when he came home from work, and I told him that his wife would tell him
why she was leaving.
As she told him what she had told me.
He began to weep, and then, he told her that she was right, and that he was so sorry.
He also began to tell her how very much that he loved her, and if, she would forgive him,
and give him another chance -- he would be different.

She went over and embraced him, and told him that was everything that she wanted to hear,
and that she would also tell him more often how very much that she loved him.
They kept their promises to each other, and grew even closer in the years ahead.

Does your spouse and your children know that you really love them?
Just saying that they should know doesn't cut it.

Do you give them the understanding that they need?
Are you ready to help them when they need your help?
Are you kind and considerate when they need that from you?
Do they know how important they are to you?
Do you spend enough time with them?

When you die, will your family feel at peace with how they feel toward you,
or will you leave them wishing for something that you didn't give them?

Would you leave any unfinished business?
Have you really forgiven all those you needed to forgive?
Are you still holding grudges?
Have you made peace with those who needed you to make peace with them?

Have you asked forgiveness of those you might have hurt?
When you die, will there be some who have ill will toward you because
you didn't' take care of things as you should have?

Did you reach your potential?
Did you give a serious effort into all the things that you felt that you should do?
Are you pleased with the life that you leave behind?

Did you really care for others?
Will you be pleased with the service that you gave to others?
Or, will you regret the fact that you could have done more?

Even more importantly, were you pure and clean and filled with God's loving Spirit?
Can you stand in front of the Saviour, and hear Him say, "Well done, thou good
and faithful servant?"
Did you love God with all your heart and all you soul?
Were you really grateful for all the ways that God blessed you?
Did you become more like Jesus?
Did you share God's great Gospel with those who needed a Saviour?

Are you Ready to Meet God?
That could happen tomorrow!
We must remember that we don't know if this will be our last day before we die.

When it is my time I want to be ready.
I want to go in peace.
I want to go satisfied that I did my best.
I want to know I accomplished the things that I knew were important, but more importantly
I want to know I accomplished the things God gave me to do.
When I get on the other side, it will be too late.

"One day at a time sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from you.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do.
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine.
Lord help me today, show me the way
One day at a time. "
-- One Day At A Time, Sweet Jesus
By Marijohn Wilkins, and Kris Kristofferson

Sermon adapted from many sources by Dr. Harold L. White