A fool is a person whose plans end at the grave.
“Be prepared!” Sound familiar? Those words are the Boy Scout motto. They are also good, simple advice for people in all walks of life. What happens if a student is not prepared for his exams, or if a mother is not prepared to feed her children, or if bills come and you are not prepared to pay them? Do you remember the last time you weren’t prepared for something serious?
In Amos 4:12, the prophet warns Israel saying, “Prepare to meet thy God!” Such an admonition is still applicable to people everywhere today. It wasn’t a kind invitation, but a stern warning. God had sent judgments on the sinful nation, yet they had not repented or returned to Him. So the warning call sounded out, and the meeting wasn’t going to be a friendly one, but a judgment. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.” It’s another way of saying, “Prepare to meet thy God.”
Are you ready?
That will be the greatest moment of anyone’s existence, when he passes into eternity and finds himself in the presence of God. No one will be an atheist on that day! And it’s an appointment no one postpones, is late for, cancels, or skips. Physical death is like the departing flights terminal at the airport—you’re leaving one place for another. What!? You don’t know where you’re going or who will meet you on the other side? No travel plans? No lodging booked? Better get with it!
Someone made this blunt but true statement: “A fool is a person whose plans end at the grave.” He lives as if he’ll be on earth forever. By that definition, the world is full of fools—busy, hard-working, studious fools who prepare for careers, vacations, and retirement; and perhaps even make out a last will and testament, but don’t prepare to meet God. They have no plans for eternity, and it will be too late to prepare once death strikes.
We can be short-sighted sometimes. As long as everything in the immediate here and now seems all right, we’re comfortable. But if we plan more for a weekend camping trip than for all eternity, that’s crazy! A friend of mine told me that an aunt bought an outfit for her burial—clothes, hosiery, and shoes—stored them in her closet, and told her family to dress her in them when she died. She thought she was readying herself. She prepared for her funeral, but not to meet God. When death closes in, her pair of black shoes in the closet will be the last thing on her mind!
Now is the time to prepare for your appointment with God in eternity. Here’s what the Bible says meeting God will be like:
I watched until the thrones were put in place,
and the Ancient of Days was seated,
His garment was white as snow,
and the hair of His head was like pure wool,
His throne was a fiery flame,
its wheels a burning fire;
A fiery stream issued and came forth
from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand
stood before Him.
The court was seated, and the books
were opened. (Dan. 7:9-10)
“All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him” (Heb. 4:13) He knows everything. Years ago, there was a line in a country-western song that stated, “No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.” Wrong! Doors can’t keep God out nor does darkness hide anything from His view. What’s more, every thought and attitude is known to Him.
You must be prepared because holy justice will be meted out by an omniscient being who knows everything about us. God’s court of judgment deals with sin, and the Judge declares that “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:4). There will be no clever lawyers to bargain for you or win your case.
The only way to be ready
The good news is that God in grace and love has given us a way to be prepared to meet Him. It’s not by good works, church attendance, or praying to the saints, but by faith: believing in and personally accepting the substitute that God provided to take your guilt and pay the penalty for your sins. Do you know who that perfect substitute is? The Lord Jesus Christ! “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).
Christ died “once for all” (Heb. 10:10,?12, 14). On the cross, He paid our debt in full with His own blood. He was buried, but rose from the dead the third day, and afterwards ascended alive into heaven where He now lives. He is personally “able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him” (Heb. 7:25, NASB). He’s the only intercessor (mediator) we’ll ever need in order to be prepared to meet God.
But each of us has to accept the offer. It isn’t enough just to know or understand the plan. There must be a personal response, a commitment. The Lord Jesus said, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel!” (Mk. 1:15). We must each respond to its message in repentance and faith, that is, turning from our sins and trusting Jesus Christ to forgive us, save us from punishment, and give us a new life under His management.
That’s the only way to be prepared to meet God. May I ask you, have you ever come to the place where you realized that the nicest funeral, prettiest flowers, sweetest organ music, and most elegant words can never meet the deepest need of your spirit? You will exist forever after physical death, and for that you need to be prepared. The apostle Paul testified of his conversion, saying, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). He had been religious before that, but religion can’t prepare you to meet God. Only Christ can.
The gospel is completely free of discrimination. It is open to all people of every race. It is guaranteed, and all you stand to lose is—are you ready for this?—your sins and the punishment for them. So act now, while the offer is still valid. An hour from now might be too late. Your moment is approaching at the speed of 60 seconds per minute. Every breath you draw takes you closer to that great meeting; and, when it arrives, it will be too late. “Prepare to meet your God!”