Because God knows everything (1 John 3:20)—even the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:29-30)—we can be sure that He knows exactly when, where, and how we will die. The Bible talks about a "book" in Psalm 139:16 that could be a reference to God's knowledge: "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." God knows absolutely everything about us (Psalm 139:1-6). There is no secret action or thought that escapes His notice. He knows what we have done, what we're doing, and what we're going to do in the future. (Yes, He even knows about that thing you do.) God knows every second of our lives from the moment we were conceived to the split second our souls leave our bodies.
Do we have zero control over the day and time when we will die? Well, yes and no, depending on how you look at it.
From God's point of view, the answer is "yes" because He's omniscient, meaning He knows exactly when, where, and how anything will go down—including how we leave this earth. Nothing we can do will change what God already knows will happen.
On the flipside, the answer is "no" from our perspective because as far as our limited minds are concerned, we do have an impact on when, where, and how we die. We could choose to jump off a bridge in front of a train, thereby "choosing" the day and time we die. Obviously, a person who dies by suicide would have lived longer had he not committed suicide. In the same way, if we decide to make dumb choices like put ourselves in dangerous situations, overdose on illicit drugs, or eat 100 Twinkies in under a minute, we've hurried our own death. The person who dies of lung cancer or a heart attack maybe wouldn’t have died in the same way or at the same time if he had made different choices. So, yes, our own decisions have an undeniable impact on the manner, timing, and place of our death.
But! Our choices don't change the fact that God still knows what we're going to choose. Yeah, that blows my mind too.
Both regardless and because of the fact that God knows everything, we are to live each day for Him. After all, if He knows what's going to happen (and we don't), it might be a good idea to listen to Him. James 4:13-15 says, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"
Make wise decisions about how you live your life and how you take care of yourself. God may know what we're going to choose, but it's still up to us to make those choices. Don't worry about the time and day of your death. It's not for us to know. Honestly, if I knew when I was going to die, I would probably be so focused on that date that I'd never get anything accomplished.
Not sure what's the best choice to make? Guess what? God does. Trust that He is in control and ask Him. He wants to help you!
Yes, Gods does know when you will die. After all, He's God, and He knows everything (1 John 3:20). But that doesn't mean He's going to tell you.
Cat is the web producer and editor of 412teens.org. She is known as "412teens" on the 412teens Discord. She loves audiobooks, feeding the people she cares about, and using Christmas lights to illuminate a room. When Catiana is not cooking, gardening, or practicing creativity, she enjoys spending time with her two kids, five socially-awkward cats, and her amazing friend-amily.
