Read: 2 Timothy 4:6-18

Many believers are not excited as they approach death. They are sad that they are going to leave so many things behind. They are not realising that they are in fact gaining by going to heaven. They have become too attached to the things of this world in a way that they dislike the thought of giving them all up.

A doctor once told a Christian that he had an incurable disease and that he was going to die. Instead of worrying, he smiled at the doctor and said, “Thank you for telling me. I have always wondered how the Lord was going to take me home.” That believer loved the Lord so much and knew very well what the Bible said about heaven that he was so eager to go there. This doesn’t mean that he was looking forward to dying and leaving his loved ones in gloom. The pull towards heaven was more than the earthly ties.

Paul the apostle had immense joy even as he was lying in his prison awaiting execution. He firmly knew that any day he would be beheaded, but he didn’t allow that fact to fill him with gloomy thoughts. He wrote with deep assurance, “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:18). He was confident that he was safe in the Lord’s arms.

We also can anticipate heaven by being in fellowship with Christ continually and meditating on His promises. Always remember that what awaits us in heaven is far better than what we are leaving behind down here on this earth. A saint once said, “Heaven’s delights will far outweigh earth’s difficulties.”