What if you knew you only had a short time to live? When my grandpa was dying many years ago, my family gathered around his bedside where he gave each of us some parting words.  He told us the things he felt were most important for us to know and do.   I will never forget grandpa telling me to serve the Lord and keep the Stegeman name going (I’m the only boy in our family).

Two thousand years ago, Jesus was on a mission to accomplish the will of His Father.  The night before He was crucified, Jesus gathered around His disciples and gave them some parting words.  In John 17:2, Jesus prayed, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you.”  Jesus knew that before He could return and be with His Father in heaven, He must be handed over to death. But He also knew it would not end in death, and that He would be raised to life on the third day (Matthew 12:40).

As Christians, we do not know what tomorrow holds in the same way that Jesus did, but we can be sure that the return of Christ is nearing each and every day and we must be ready.  The bridegroom is coming for His bride and we (the church) must be ready!  And while we have not experienced heaven, Scripture tells us of its glories and wonders!

So we have this hope as believers and we know that we are just strangers in a foreign land, for our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).  Let me encourage you to live each day with eternity close to your thoughts. The Bible tells us, “The end of all things is at hand” (1 Peter 4:7). May we not waste our time on the trivial, but instead look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and make the best use of time (Ephesians 5:16), knowing that we will soon be in eternity.