When you go on a journey, there is always so much to do to get ready: make a list, find the passport, purchase airline tickets and other transportation, read guidebooks, pack, etc.
If this is not done quite right, the trip will not be as successful.
If you think about it, we are destined to make a huge journey of another kind one day . . . a journey from this world to the next. The statistics are staggering. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 2.5 million people die every year in this country. Every year, more than 11 million adults lose a parent. By age 62, 75 percent have lost both. Approximately 130,000 deaths each year result from accidents.
The Bible makes this very personal. The writer of the book of Hebrews points out, “Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God.” (Hebrews 9:27) The book of Ecclesiastes affirms, “There is a time and a season for every matter under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.” (3:1-2)
There is no stopping it. Someday, unless God directly intervenes in human history in our lifetime, we will personally take that journey.
I once heard a speaker say that the purpose of life can be summed up in three words: preparation for eternity.
Allow me to ask a personal question. Are you preparing for that final journey? Just keep in mind that the best guidebook ever written to prepare for this journey is the Bible!