Now I’m sure of this: the sufferings we endure now are not even worth comparing to the glory that is coming and will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18 VOICE)
On Saturday at the women’s conference, I attended a workshop where the speaker shared a story about growing up in a large family that deeply valued music. She had an older brother, a college student, whom she admired and emulated musically. But then, one day, the devastating news came: he was never coming home. The family was heartbroken, and with his passing, the music in their home came to a halt.
Have you ever reached a point in life when you just knew something was over? Maybe it was a decision you made, or something you didn’t choose at all. It could’ve been graduating from school, leaving a job, ending a marriage, or losing a loved one. Whether you saw it coming or not, the ending arrived, and you had to face it.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and probably never imagined he’d see his father again.
Ruth lost her husband, her brothers-in-law, and her father-in-law, and likely thought she was destined for a life of widowhood and poverty.
The disciples who watched Jesus, their beloved friend and teacher, die on the cross could never have imagined that the resurrection he hinted at wasn’t just a wishful thought, but part of God’s plan.
Joseph, and Ruth didn’t choose these endings. Even Jesus, in his agony, asked the Father if there was another way.
Then Jesus walked a short distance away, and overwhelmed with grief, he threw himself facedown on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if there is any way you can deliver me from this suffering, please take it from me. Yet what I want is not important, for I only desire to fulfill your plan for me.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen him. (Matthew 26:39 TPT)
Looking back 2,000+ years later, we know how the stories of Joseph, Ruth, and Jesus ended. We see how God used their painful endings to fulfill his greater purpose. But the more immediate, personal endings—those that cut close to the heart—can be harder to understand. For the family where the music had died, God sent a wise piano teacher to visit and strengthen them. She reminded them that even though “Joshua” was in heaven, their song was far from over. His life may have ended, but theirs continued. In other words, “The chapter may be closed, but the book isn’t finished.”
God of Hope,
Today, we pray that you meet us in the places of our lives that are ending or transitioning. Help us seek you as we make decisions and trust you with the plans you have for us. Even in our suffering, open our eyes to your goodness. Send wise encouragers into our lives to walk with us in this chapter. Remind us that even when a chapter is over, the full story is still being written. Be our source of hope, and fill us completely with joy and peace because we trust in you. May our lives overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray all of this in Jesus’s name. Amen.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NLT)