Whitney Houston is Dead: The Question Today is 'Are You Prepared for Your Death?'

Gospel Light Society Podcasts

Psalm 39:4 reads, “LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.” Hebrews 9:27 reads, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Whitney Houston, the once reigning queen of pop, with a soulful voice and chart-topping hits died suddenly and unexpectedly on February 11 at age 48, just one day before the 54th GRAMMY Awards. Born into Gospel royalty, she began singing at her church in New Jersey as a young girl and was inspired by her mother Cissy Houston, her cousin Dionne Warwick, and her godmother Aretha Franklin. For over a decade and a half she mesmerized the world with her beautiful voice, selling over 200 million albums including seven back-to-back multi-platinum albums. Her No. 1 hits included: “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know” and “The Greatest Love of All.” She won over 415 awards throughout her career including two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards. After a tumultous marriage to Bobby Brown, she was immersed in drugs and her drug use took a toll on her voice. In recent years, she struggled to make a musical comeback. She produced a new album and starred in a soon to be released movie titled “Sparkle”. Although millions will mourn her sudden and untimely passing the Bible reminds us that all of us will one day die. You could say that death is a fact of life. Psalm 39:5 says, “Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” Most of us expect to live long, rewarding lives before death’s ultimate arrival. We want to marry, raise children, and retire well. Certainly no one expects to die “before our time”. So we spend ourselves on living and give little thought to dying. “I’ll prepare later,” we say. But death often comes with no opportunity for final preparation. So, these words are a gift to you — a gift to help you spend time preparing for death. This is not being morbid. Truth is, if you prepare well to die, you’ll live at your peak now, and when you die you will enter an eternity of complete joy. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” Whitney Houston’s death reminds us that we all have an appointment with death. Hebrews 9:27 reads, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” You might guess that your death is a long way off, when actually it might be as soon as…today. Wise people prepare to die when the likelihood of death seems very far away. Wise people are ready for death whenever it comes.