A great epitaph

Date: Tuesday, October 29

Scripture: Deuteronomy 34:1-8

Verse:  Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. (Deuteronomy 34:5)

Some epitaphs don’t tell us much about the person buried underneath them. Someone once said more important than the dates of birth and death should be the “dash” between them, the life that was lived.

Other epitaphs are quite clever. Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and many of the other Looney Tunes characters chose one of the most famous lines he delivered as Porky Pig, “That’s all folks!” Frank Sinatra chose an appropriate song title, “The best is yet to come.” Winston Churchill went with a bit of humor, “I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.” Martin Luther King, Jr.’s is the words of an old Gospel song he used in his most famous speech, “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty I’m Free at Last.” How do you sum up a life in just a few words? Some do it quite well, others not at all.

In today’s reading we come across an epitaph of sorts for Moses. Here at the end of his life, God shows Moses the land he has spent the last 40 years leading the people of Israel toward. He will, unfortunately, never get to enter it. The Scripture then continues, “Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command.” What a great epitaph: Moses, the servant of the Lord. Moses did not live a perfect life, but he served the Lord. What a great way to be remembered.

Sometimes in our day-to-day living it is easy to lose sight of the things that really matter. How do you want to be remembered? Live that way today!

Prayer: May I, O Lord, be your servant today. Amen.

Action: Finish well requires remaining focused on the things that really matter. Write down some of the ways you would like to be remembered when your life is over.

Respond: Share a particularly inspiring or funny epitaph, or maybe the one you would like used for you. Answer by clicking “Leave a Comment” below.
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