If today was your last day on earth, are you ready for your final trip? And do you know where you’re going? In this blog, I share how you can prepare for your final trip in your life. My husband’s grandma’s wish was to live to the year 2000. And she did. She passed away in June 2000. God granted her that wish. She loved to travel, and she visited many countries with her husband.
She was not vocal about her faith like many people are. So, one day I asked her directly if she was a believer in Jesus Christ and she said yes. She died of old age and during her last days we went to visit her as often as we could. During one of those visits, I noticed her Bible on top of a shelf, and I reached out to get it and inside it was her passport.
I cried... of happiness. That told me that she was ready to take her final trip and that she knew her destination—heaven. If today was your last day on earth, are you ready for your final trip? And is heaven your final destination? Just as grandma loved to travel and also loved God in her own quite way, I want to do the same when my turn comes to leave this earth. And I hope that God also grants me the wish to die of old age so I can see my kids and grandkids grow up.
To prepare, let’s go through a “travel checklist” and compare it to our final trip from earth:
Need a ticket.
Whether you’re traveling by airplane, train, boat cruise, or simply driving to a place, you may need a ticket or pay something to get into your destination. If you want your final destination to be heaven, there is no payment necessary. Your ticket is free. Jesus paid it in full! Romans 10: 9-10 tells us that “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”
You need a valid ID.
We all know that when traveling domestically within the country, you need to identify yourself by showing a valid ID. When you travel to another country you need a passport. When you are a believer in Jesus Christ, He writes your name in the Book of Life. Therefore, you won’t need an ID of any kind to get into heaven. Your name will be there, and Jesus himself will recognize you and welcome you into heaven. Revelation 3:5 tells us that “All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.”
Make a reservation.
To enter a hotel, a restaurant, a museum, a movie theater, or any other special place, you need a reservation. Jesus makes your reservation to enter heaven. It’s done! He reserves a place for you the moment you allow Him to enter your heart. Jesus tells us in John 14:2-4: “There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will be always with me where I am. And you know where I am going and how to get there.”
Choose the place.
The first question you must answer when planning a vacation is “where are you going?” You learn about the place you plan to visit by conducting research and reading reviews. Then you decide. But there is a place that you must choose to go when your life here on earth is done. And you must choose it in advance while you’re alive because you don’t know when your last trip will happen. You choose heaven the moment you say “yes” to Jesus. Revelation 21:10-27 gives us a clear description of “the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” I encourage you to read it and imagine heaven in your mind.
Obtain directions.
Once you decide where you want to go the next step is to figure out how to get there. You research Google maps and choose to fly, drive, or take a train. You typically want to choose the quickest and safest way to arrive at your destination. Jesus gives us clear directions in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Get to know your host.
The best vacations happen when you know the person receiving you, the host. They take care of you and treat you like royalty. You develop a great relationship and communicate with your host often. You wait in anticipation to meet your host, and your host also awaits your arrival with great enthusiasm and love. The same way, you can develop a deep close relationship with Jesus, your personal host, before you arrive to heaven. You get to know Him by reading the scriptures and by spending quality time with Him in prayer and worship. 1 John 3:1 says, “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” In heaven, you will be treated like royalty!
Other preparations.
Below are other questions you may ask when you prepare for a trip and what you need to prepare for your final trip with destination heaven:
· How long does it take to get there? The moment you take your last breath here on earth, in that instant, you are with Jesus in heaven.
· Who’s coming with me? This is an individual trip that we each take. Each person must choose heaven on their own. Your job as a believer is to share the good news of the Gospel with as many people as possible. The goal is to share the “free ticket of salvation” with the world, starting with your loved ones.
· What do I need to bring? Nothing. Your physical body is left behind and your spirit joins Jesus immediately upon arrival.
· When do I leave? When God says it’s your turn to go. You have no control of when your last day on earth will be. That’s why it’s crucially important to decide to follow Jesus early in your life. You will then have the blessing of walking this life with Jesus by your side and continue your journey in heaven.
· How do I prepare physically? There is no physical preparation other than your legal will and a health care directive, so your loved ones know what to do. The preparation is spiritual.
It’s hard to discuss death. But it’s a reality we all must face at some point. I hope this message encourages you to prepare spiritually to meet your Savior when God calls you. Are you ready for your final trip?