Your good question reminds me of Amos 4:12 which says, “Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD, O Israel.”  I believe that to prepare for death is to prepare to meet God.  Hebrews 9:27 makes it very clear.  “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”  Unless the Lord returns soon, we WILL die, and we WILL face God. 

Hebrews 10:31 warns us that, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  This speaks of those who are not prepared for death or to meet God…those who are still in their sins.  To face God without our sins forgiven is truly a fearful thing.  The Greek word for fearful is translated as “terrible’ in Hebrews 12:21, so we get a sense of how awful it would be to meet God and yet still have the weight of our sins upon us.  The Lord Jesus issued a dire warning to unbelievers in John 8:24 by saying, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

The Apostle Paul spoke of departing and being with Christ as “far better.” (Philippians 1:23).  He was ready for death and spoke of it in such a positive light.  He said in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  He knew that as long as he lived on the earth, he would live to glorify Christ, and when it came time for him to die, he knew it would be a positive thing.  As believers, we should cherish each minute the Lord gives us here in this life, but we can also be assured that when we die, it will make our estate even better.  We read in Psalm 16:11, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: IN THY PRESENCE IS FULNESS OF JOY; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” 

In a practical sense, there are things that we should be aware of and take care of before our passing.  We read the words of the Lord to Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:1, “In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, SET THINE HOUSE IN ORDER; for thou shalt die, and not live.” (Also read 2 Samuel 17:23).  As a man, I want to make sure my wife and family can carry on when I am gone.  I want to make sure our finances are in good shape and that my wife will know how to pay our monthly bills…such as our electric, gas, and water bills, which I pay online each month.  I want to have some money set aside to help my wife adjust to her life without me.  I want to reassure all my family of my love for them, so I tell them each day that I love them.  I want to leave a good example of following Christ, so they can follow my example. 

When will death come to us?  We just don’t know the answer to that question, so it is vital that we are ready for it when it arrives.  2 Corinthians 6:2 tells us plainly, “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”  None of us are promised tomorrow, but we are promised eternity.  We will all exist in an eternity either with the Lord, in great bliss, or we will spend eternity suffering in Hell.  We read of those two destinies in Matthew 25:46, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”  My friend, I urge you to put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ today as your savior and Lord, if you have not done so already.  Indeed, your eternal dwelling place will be determined by your faith in Christ…or your rejection of Him.  (CC)  (648.4)