The End

Even though the fig trees are all destroyed, and there is neither blossom left nor fruit, and though the olive crops all fail, and the fields lie barren: even if the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my Strength, and he will give me the speed of a deer and bring me safely over the Mountains. Habakkuk 3:17-19 (TLB)

Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, right now, and we can't even imagine what it is going to be like later on. But we do know this, that when he comes we will be like him, as a result of seeing him as he really is. 1 John 3:2 (TLB)

Laura Kuehn lives in Connecticut. Her sister always flips to the back of a new book to see how the story will end. Not Laura. She loves entering into the world of the characters and joining them on their journeys. She has no interest in knowing how things will end ahead of time.

Laura can't say the same for her own life. She would love a peek at her future. Soon her last child will reach adulthood. For years being a mom has given her purpose. What will happen when that role ends?

The book of Habakkuk gives her comfort. Habakkuk laments the violence and destruction that surrounds him. His situation doesn't change; yet, by the end of the book, he is rejoicing. What made the difference? God tells him how the story ends. Laura imagines God saying, "Don't worry, Habakkuk. I've got this. It's going to be okay." Knowing God's plans for the future renewed Habakkuk's faith in God's sovereignty in the present. Confusion and fear lost their grip on his heart.

Laura may not know what her life will look like in a few years, but, as in Habakkuk's case, God has shown her how things will end. One day, she will be remade in the likeness of Christ and will live with him forever. Now that's worth flipping to the end.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for revealing to us the glorious end. Help us to trust in your good plans for our lives, in Jesus' name. Amen.