We already know how it ends

Years ago I was out of town on the weekend of a certain big college football game. It was the only time that I have ever recorded a game on TV in order to watch it later. I really wanted to watch the game without knowing the outcome, so there would be some suspense involved when I eventually watched it. Unfortunately, as I was driving back into town, the radio announcer on the car radio station that I was listening to, mentioned what a great game that was on TV that past weekend. Then he announced the score! Oh, no. There went the suspense.

Once I got home, I started watching the recorded game. As the game progressed, my team started falling behind pretty badly. I would have gotten rather emotionally disturbed about this, but fortunately, the radio announcer had announced the final score; and I already knew that my team was going to win. Therefore, I didn't worry. I just relaxed and enjoyed how the game unfolded.

In the last few weeks, I have been reading a wonderful book by a former seminary professor, named Randy Alcorn. The title of the book is,"Heaven". Dr. Alcorn spend a large part of his life compiling what the Bible, Christian theologians, and scholars have said, or have to say, on the subject. My main takeaway from this book is what a beautiful, majestic, and encouraging destination awaits us as Christians once our time here is done on this old earth.

After contemplating all of these wonderful teachings on Heaven I thought about how similar our Christian perspective to life (with it's ups and downs) can be to the perspective I had watching my recorded big game on TV. I already knew how the big game on TV was going to turn out. Likewise we can know how our Christian life journey will wonderfully turn out. Knowing this,the intermediate setbacks and unpleasant events in our life and in our world, don't have to cause undue concern. The wondrous thing is that God has chosen to tell us history in advance (prophecy) to provide us with certainty and confidence.

The challenge for today is to look past the big game's setbacks, confusion, and bad plays. We can be encouraged to keep playing. We already know how it ends. Thanks be to God.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Blessings,
George