Planning for the Trip

” Planning for the Trip”

I took a vacation not to long ago. I went away for a week for some rest and relaxation. The preparation involved in a week long trip was quite time consuming. There was research to do, decisions to be made, time spent on the net making arrangements, time spent on the phone confirming the plans. I spent time shopping for some clothes that I needed for cold weather. I had to make arrangements to have my dog looked after. I spend time talking to family to let them know where I would be and when I would be back. I had to do some things around the house to make sure my home would be secure while I was away. I spent time doing laundry and packing. I had some banking to do before I left. I had to pay some bills and get some cash for the trip. All in all I most definitely spent as much time, or more time, preparing for the trip as I did actually taking the trip. There is truly a lot of work involved in preparing for a journey.

My parents recently took a month long excursion across Europe. They, even more so, had extensive preparation time involved in the planning of their journey. One can only imagine the time involved in planning a month long trip. They would have to start many months in advance making all of the arrangements and spend much more time than I did preparing for their journey.

Now imagine, if you will, taking a trip around the globe. Let’s imagine that you are taking a journey that will take nearly a year to complete. How long would it take to prepare for that kind of a trip? Would it take a year or more to make the arrangements? It would indeed.

Now imagine you are taking a trip that will last through all eternity. How long would it take you to prepare for that journey? The truth is that most people do nothing to prepare for it. Can you imagine taking a journey through all eternity and making no preparations at all? You might think that it would take an eternity worth of preparations to get ready for a trip like that, but it really only takes a moment of your time. Take a moment to say a simple prayer that will assure that your travel arrangements have been made and that you have a place to stay when you arrive. What is this simple prayer?

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ, Your Son, died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin and rose from the dead to be my King and my Lord. God, I now repent of my sin and personally invite Jesus into my heart and my life. Thank you, Jesus, for giving me the free gift of eternal life. I promise to live for You as You reveal Yourself to me through Your Holy Word, the Bible. In Jesus precious name, I pray. Amen.

If you have prayed this prayer in a humble and heartfelt manner you have been reborn into the Kingdom of God. Your new journey begins today. You can be confident that your reservations have been confirmed and that you are ready for the trip.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2