There is a very large billboard along I-29 in Iowa which simply says, ‘Prepare to Meet Thy God’ (Amos 4:12). Perhaps you’ve seen it if you’ve driven north on I-29 through Iowa, north of Missouri Valley. It really is a great ‘reminder’ for all of us that we never know when our ‘time is up’ here on earth, and so in advance of that time we better have our ‘personal house’ in order, especially our spiritual house! I’m sure a lot of non-Christian eyes glance at that sign, scoff or curse, and then look away, but if they were ‘wise’ those people would take the billboard ‘advice’ to heart and prepare to meet their God.
Just a few days ago, a good friend of mine, 58 years old, died very ‘unexpectedly.’ There were no indications of any physical problems with Randy prior to the time his wife came home and found him on the couch…dead. I had known Randy for over 50 years, all the way back to our grade school days. Even at his current age he was still slim and took very good care of himself, and most anyone would have said he looked the picture of health. He was athletic and active all of his life, participating in softball, basketball, football, as well as fishing and hunting over the years. When his wife found him it was quite apparent that he had suddenly died in his sleep from a heart attack. What happened to Randy is a perfect example of how ‘none’ of us know when death will strike, regardless if the cause of death is due to natural causes, an illness, the result of a crime, in warfare, or by way of an accident. We just all need to be ready to meet our Creator God, and sometimes without any advance notice!
Randy’s death is not the only one to strike close to home for me recently. In just a few weeks time I have also loss my two next door neighbors and a cousin, all due to illnesses. It really doesn’t take long in this life to look around one day and realize that a lot of people you once knew are now gone, either to one eternal destination or another…because after all, there are only ‘two’ eternal possibilities…Heaven or Hell. To utilize a few sports analogies, a football field only has two end zones, a basketball court only has two hoops, and a soccer field and hockey rink only have two goals…and so it is in the very serious ‘game of life and death’…there are only the two ‘end game’ options for us of either Heaven or Hell…and we will each spend eternity in one place or the other…based on either our ‘acceptance or rejection’ of the redeeming work of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, by what He did for us by His death on the cross, followed on the third day by His resurrection.
What foolish people we are, because we will exhaust ourselves preparing for the next day, the weekend, a holiday, or a vacation, but many of us seldom give a serious thought about preparing for an ‘eternal’ destination…and it is certainly not a trivial decision you want to procrastinate about…because a no decision is the same as a bad decision! If you want to go to Heaven, you have to make an affirmative decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. Today, will you prepare yourself spiritually to meet your God…right now…at this very moment in time? You should you know! All you need to do is confess to Jesus that you are a ‘sinner’ in need of forgiveness, and then place your belief and faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and let Him save you from an eternity in Hell and the Lake of Fire. Preparing to meet your God is one ‘trip’ preparation YOU, and only you, have to make alone, because your salvation is a ‘heart’ thing between only you and Jesus, and no one else can make intercession on your behalf with God the Father, except His Son, Jesus Christ!
Will you ‘Prepare to Meet Thy God’ at this time…at this moment…by affirming your belief in Jesus Christ and accepting Him as your Savior? If you do this, then one fine day you will be in Heaven for eternity, and very ‘thankful’ to be there with Jesus, all the saints, and all your Christian family and friends!
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17)