Ecclesiastes 12:10

   Norway had a plan to keep death from coming to the country.   Now they knew they couldn’t stop all death but in 1349 the death they feared was the Black Death or The Plague. Bubonic plague had ravaged Europe taking over 60% of its population. However, Scandinavia was isolated enough that had been spared and Norway was determined to keep it that way.   Since the disease was transmitted by fleas that live on rats, Norway made every ship that came into its port go thru quarantine. If the ship had signs of rat or flea infestation, it was turned away; otherwise, the crew (if in good health) and supplies were allowed to disembark as planned.  It might have worked except for one ship that refused to stop and be checked.   The reason? They were already dead.   A ship had left England healthy but during the journey, the disease began to take the lives of the crew, but only the crew. The creatures that brought the plague onto the shi...

    I can think of no harder tragedy to live thru than that of losing a child. It’s not natural to outlive one’s progeny, yet David did so on several occasions. How did he deal with that loss?   On two different occasions, we see David in the process of mourning the loss of a son. The first time it is in the loss of his infant child with Bathsheba, the second is after his son Absalom is killed.  His infant child dies as a result of David’s own personal sin. He was an innocent cut down at the start of his life. David spends hours praying and fasting for the Lord’s to save the child, still, the child dies. Yet David doesn’t wail, he rather gets up and resumes his normal life.    Yet in the death of Absalom David takes it much harder. The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son...

    A week or so ago I was driving down the road chewing on the plastic lid to a soda bottle (don't ask me why, I have no good reason), when I was jarred after I hit a bad spot in the road causing the cap to go a little farther down my throat than I was expecting.  I coughed it out quickly but it caused me to realize how stupid of a thing it was to be chewing on a bottle cap.  Had I been a bit unluckier I could have died either from the choking hazard or the accident that would have surely resulted as I was trying to dislodge it.  Wouldn't that be a strange obituary? I could imagine my family trying to explain it to folks how I had died.  As I reflected on this bit of my own foolishness, it got me to thinking how many times a day, I could have almost died.    So for the next week, I did just that. Any time a car pulled out in front of me (or I pulled out in front of someone), anytime I went down some stairs, or unplugged some...