Missing Heaven

It has been almost twenty years ago, but I still remember a certain afternoon in the airport in Memphis Tennessee. I was flying from Oklahoma City to Nashville. At Memphis I changed planes, and had about an hour between flights. After getting off the plane I had gone to the restroom, and then immediately I went to the gate for my connecting flight. I was keeping watch on the time, and I noticed that although it was almost time for my scheduled departure to Nashville, it had not been announced that my flight was boarding. Finally after patiently waiting for a few more minutes, I went to the person at the gate and inquired. The reply to my question concerning my flight was swift and certain, “Sir, the pilot is getting ready to close the door of the plane.” After quickly getting to my seat, I thought about how that I had come very close to missing my flight.

Indeed, more tragic than missing a flight will be for a person to miss heaven. I cannot imagine the horror of realizing for eternity that I had missed heaven. The reality would be that instead of an eternity characterized by glory and unending happiness, my eternity would be characterized by the indescribable agony of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20).

From time to time I have thought about how I almost missed my flight in Memphis. I thought I had been paying attention to the announcement for the boarding call. But apparently somehow I had not paid sufficient attention. This reminds me that many people have good intentions of making sure that heaven is their eternal home. They believe the necessary preparations have been made. But according to Jesus, at the judgment they are going to be shocked and surprised. As Jesus taught concerning the judgment, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:21-23).

The greatest responsibility you and I have is to make sure we are prepared for eternity. Tragically, many people are going to miss heaven due to carelessness, neglect, and stubbornness. Thus the reality will be for eternity they will painfully regret their failure to properly prepare. As we are presently in the here and now, may we often reflect and personally apply the words of our Lord, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13 & 14).