"Rewriting Endings"

THE WORD:

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."

Ecclesiastes 7:8

DEVOTION:

Some people probably don't agree with this Bible verse. After all, there are movies that start out with laughter and happy bubbles and ends in tears and goodbyes. There are relationships that started out blissfully and ended in resentment and anger. There are stories in our life that begin with such promise, only to end in brokenness. But patience, endurance and perseverance through such trials build strength. And at the end of all this, you will come out stronger and better than you were at the beginning.

This verse also echoes Ecclesiastes 7:1 where the writer says, "the day you die is better than the day you are born." This is because the writer knows that after we breathe our last breath, we will finally see God's glory - which is so much more than everything we endured in the chapters written in our life story.

Have you ever read a book where so many terrible things are happening to your favourite characters and you flip quickly to the end of the book, just for a brief glimpse to see that it all turns out okay? I have done that many times because I was too impatient to endure the trials with the characters in the book. By skipping to the ending, I miss the growth process of the characters or the revelations revealed to them that led them to the conclusion.

There have been many times where I wish I could just read the last page of a certain chapter in my life, just to see how it all turns out. If I had a time machine, I probably would  gladly send notes to a "younger me" telling myself not to freak out, everything will eventually be okay.

But it's during these hard chapters in our life where we grow most. Facing the difficulties of life builds our character, our strength, our perseverance - and best of all, our faith in God. God is the one who knows every ending to every chapter in our lives. We need to be patient and wait on Him to reveal His purpose and lesson in that chapter,

"Patience is better than pride" because it is better to be patient with God, then to keep demanding about His reasons for everything happening to us. When you find it difficult to wait on God and you're wishing to just skip to the ending already, remember that "waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be" (John Ortberg).

"Life has many different chapters of story. One bad chapter doesn't mean it's the end of the book." Each day, God gives you a new chance to rewrite your ending. And for Christians, no matter what the previous chapter is in our story, we all share one finale - eternity in Paradise where the chapter is filled with endless joy.

PRAYER:

Dear God,

You are the Author of life. All my days have already been written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). Thank you for always being near to me when I am going through the difficult chapters in life. I am sorry that sometimes I am not very patient with Your will and I just want to take things in my own hands. But You always have a better plan for me than anything I can come up with. Help me to grow stronger and more faithful in You during my periods of waiting. I pray that Your hand will be present through every last page of my story.

APPLICATION:

Can you think of a chapter of your life where God led you somewhere different than where you had intended to be? What is the most difficult part about waiting for a chapter to end for you?

WORSHIP:

"Story of your life" - Matthew West