January 2009 Devotionals

January 05, 2009

We’ve Read the Last Page of the Book

A Conversation with Elizabeth Rice Handford

When I’m reading a book of fiction, I often turn to the last chapter to read it first, to see how the story ends. It’s a habit that really irritates my sister Joy. She thinks you ought to start at the beginning and read it straight through. But I say, if the story isn’t going to end to my liking, why should I waste time reading it?

In many ways the year 2009 is a closed book. We wonder what it might bring. Will the conflict in the Middle East escalate? Will our economy continue to deteriorate? Will Christians continue to lose their right to worship? There’s no way for us to know how this year will end, but—!

—But! We have good news—exceedingly good news. We’ve read the end of the Book, God’s Word. It tells us that one day Jesus will be King over all the earth. All our tears will be dried. All our fears will be laid to rest. All our anxious questions will be answered in that wonderful day when every creature on earth will bow and proclaim Jesus King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Meanwhile, that same precious book tells us that God will be with us every step of the way we must travel in 2009. When the Israelites were facing just the kind of situation we are in right now, God said to them, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Joshua 1:9).

In Isaiah 30:21, God promises, “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

So, in the difficult year ahead we can count on God’s faithfulness to show us every step of the way. No matter what happens in 2009, we have the assurance that God will take care of us, that He will show us exactly what He wants us to do, and we can count on His promises. He has never, ever, broken a promise, and He said He’d watch over us every step of the way. We’ve read the end of the story. It turns out to our liking!