Everyone prepares for the future in some way. It may be as simple as buying groceries, so you have food for tomorrow. For an athlete, it means getting physically stronger by eating healthier, engaging in physical exercise, and mentally preparing a plan to succeed. It may be starting a retirement fund so you will be prepared financially for the future, but what about your future after death? Have you made those preparations?
In the world we live in, people are so busy living and they forget that our ultimate future is death. Most do not want to think about dying, but unless Jesus comes back while they are living, it is an inevitable reality. Some say they are ready, but are deceived into believing that all people go to Heaven. They have never had the gospel presented to them, and their knowledge is based on hearsay rather than facts. Others think they are okay because they have attended a church and followed their “rules” for going to Heaven. If you are a born-again believer, you understand that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Paul demonstrated his preparedness for the future in his response in Acts 21:13. He was ready for the challenges ahead. He was warned by his friends not to go to Jerusalem. The rumor that they were waiting for him was true, and his friends feared for his life. Paul refused to change his plans. He felt he must go, and he was not afraid to die. In Acts 21:13, he tells his friends not to weep because he is ready to be bound and die for the name of Jesus.
In Acts 21:13, Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Paul focused on his purpose, which was to win as many as possible to Jesus. He wanted to educate the Jews about who Jesus was and how to gain eternal life through Jesus Christ. He loved the Jewish people; he was a Jew and desired that they, too, receive salvation. In Romans 9:2-3, Paul is so burdened for fellow Jews that he proclaims that he would be “accursed and cut off from Christ,” if it meant their salvation. He was willing to forfeit his own salvation for them. Paul was well prepared for the future, but he was hurt deeply because those he loved were not prepared.
Rom 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
Rom 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
What are you doing to make preparations for your future? Are you saving as much as possible so that you can retire comfortably? Maybe you are working hard so your children will have all the things you did not have, or you are working less so you can involve your kids in as many activities as possible. None of these activities is bad in itself, but they do nothing to get you prepared for your death. It will not matter what you have had or what things you did in this life when you stand before God.
No one knows when Jesus will return, except God the Father. Therefore, we need to be prepared for the future at all times. Hebrews 9:27 teaches us that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” We do not know when He will come or when we will die and stand before Him to give an account for our lives; therefore, it is vitally important that we prepare now.
We need to examine our hearts and prepare to die for Him if necessary. We should also prepare our children to stand against adversity when it comes to our faith. Preparation is the key to being prepared to face death and face God. If you don’t prepare your heart now, there is a good chance you will deny Him when threats come. Spend some time thinking about the future and start preparing for it.
