I’m a huge book worm. Few things bring me greater joy than reading a book. Now throw me in a coffee shop with no kids and a real macchiato and I will kiss your feet and call you a saint. Just kidding about the feet thing because I’m totally repulsed by them, even the shoe-d variety. But seriously, I love reading books.
When I’m reading through a book and a chapter ends with some type of cliff hanger, I don’t panic. I just keep reading. In my opinion, if it’s any sort of good book or series then there are almost always answers provided for the reader’s questions. That doesn’t mean I’m always happy with the answers, but from my experience usually 90% of the time I am not left in the dark by the end of a book or series. No loose ends. Of course some authors enjoy leaving their readers hanging. The entire series will end on a completely horrific cliff hanger, with no sequel to come, never providing closure. It’s absolutely wicked and sends me, at minimum, on a one week mope-fest (which my husband can attest to).
I’m being a little dramatic here, but my point is that every good story has an ending providing closure.
Reality isn’t much different from novels, considering books are written by humans for humans. But what about a story written by God for humans? A story so important that it has been written on your heart. Think about that for a second. Even the most secluded of peoples will look to the stars and wonder.
We know even when we don’t technically know.
If finite humans can write quality, life-changing literature, how much more can the Creator of the Universe provide something even greater?
The story written by God, in which we are living out, already has an end. And not just any end, a victory that provides total closure for all who might heed. Jesus is the author AND FINISHER of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Unlike those wretched writers that love to torture their readers with eternal loose ends, God is a kind author.
God knows His readers need closure. This is why He gave mankind the end of the book to soothe our fragile souls as we live out the ups and downs of our life stories.
Our journey begins with the end. Our journey is because of the end. We can move forward no matter the circumstance because we know the end. We can stand on this truth because our God is the beginning and the end.
I AM is the one and only always.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8 NKJV)
Your past is heavy and it’s trying so hard to shape your future. But what does God say? He is your before and He is your after. Forget about time as your mundane self knows it, and look at time the way God sees it. He is our timeline. So your dark past is gone because God literally is the past. Your present, now, has an opportunity to allow the King in and transform it because God literally is here. God literally is your present. And should you allow Jesus into your heart, then your future has a fairy tale ending because He is literally the future. The past is now, the now is now, and the future is now. Today is the day of salvation and the time is now (2 Corinthians 6:2 NKJV).
Now….
If I haven’t lost you yet then maybe just maybe the Holy Spirit is at work here. I’m praying for that, but I’m kind of even above my own thinking while typing this out. It’s deep! But it’s amazing!
God wants you to measure your life marked by the starting points of your journeys which are the departures of your previous seasons. Read that one more time.
“These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. And these are their journeys according to their starting points: They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians.” (Numbers 33:1-3 NKJV)
The entire chapter then goes on to tell of all the places they departed from and what God did for them after.
Life is measured by the departure.
You see, my life was in shambles 4 years ago, but I left. I departed that life. My present life is not based on what happened then, but what is happening now. Right now, I am sober. Today I am a mommy and wife. Today, right now, this very second I choose salvation through Jesus, the Son of God.
The end is better than the beginning.
“The end of a thing is better than its beginning;” (Ecclesiastes 7:8 NKJV)
We just finished up Christmas, and it is a truly miraculous time. But the birth of Jesus is only so important because of the ending He was to provide. O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord who will save us! Christ the Lord who has saved. God is our timeline and God is now.
What good is a beginning that is not on solid ground? We are destined to crumble if we build on sinking sand. But Christ is our firm foundation because He provided the end for us from the very beginning.
So as we close 2017, let us not dwell on the resolutions to come in the next year. But instead let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith! Faith is built on seeing where God has brought you out of, and that faith is what will push you to achieve those dreams and goals to come. Write down your journey, starting with your departure. Look at how this year has finished with God’s signature and turn over to the next crisp blank page.
For those who are stuck, who have yet to depart from your current season, ask God to make a way. Moses said “let my people go” over and over, and eventually Pharaoh had to let them go. Our enemies have no authority over us because the end has already been written. Jesus is our closure. Jesus is our insurance. Do not lose hope. Persevere until the sea splits.
If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and would like to know more about our incredible God who has saved us, please message me!
Blessings and happy new year,
Lacey
frolicinfields 