Happy Ever After

And they all lived happily ever after...

I am sucker for happy ever afters! I love happy endings and sappy romantic feel-good movies. Growing up, I loved to read books, particularly fiction, and before reading any book, I would flip to the last few pages to see if it had a satisfactory/happy end. If it didn't, I lost all enthusiasm and concluded that it was a pointless book. Happy endings are really not realistic, some might say and that is oftentimes the case. I mean, even as Christians (or should I say especially as Christians) we encounter some pretty difficult and sometimes grim life situations. Life seems to knock us down, the devil never lets up on us, and it seems like there is ALWAYS something going wrong. And in the event that everything starts going smoothly, a feeling of impending doom begins to develop and lurk in the back of our minds. Your life right now may seem like all hell's breaking loose and there seems to be no end in sight for your problems, BUT I can confidently say that you can and will have a Happy Ever After! 

The word of God is filled with numerous accounts of Happy Ever After's. Let me remind you of some of them:

• Abraham & Sarah: We are introduced to these two in the old testament scriptures, particularly in Genesis. Abraham and Sarah sought to please God in all they did and when they were promised a much desired child by The Almighty, they were excited and believed...for a while. But like many of us, they got discouraged after years of waiting, and deciding to help God fulfill His promise in their lives, went about solving the problem on their own, thus introducing a season of turmoil and a host of other problems. So now they had that mistake, and their seeming unfulfilled promise to contend with. BUT God! They finally decided to let go and let God do it His way, and the promise was fulfilled...Isaac was born! [Genesis 15-18; 21].

• Joseph: Sold to slavery by his own flesh and blood, Joseph was certainly not living the good life by anyone's standards. Not only was he sold, he was also accused of harassing the Pharaoh's wife and consequently, was thrown into jail. Talk about a horror story! He went from the 'frying pan' to the 'fire, so to speak. It certainly didn't seem like his dreams of greatness, God-given as they were, were ever going to be fulfilled. BUT God! He did just that and through a series of miraculous events, Joseph rises to power and becomes governor (or something like that) of the land of Egypt. Indeed....a happy ending. [Genesis 37, 39-41]. 

• David: Given an honorable mention by God Himself as "a man after His own heart" [1 Samuel 13:14], David became King of Israel after a series of trials and difficulties. His fame rose, as well as his power and influence. But he became so enamored by his power that he made a decision that would cost him his son, and threaten the happy ending God had in store for him. BUT God! God had mercy on David and there was a turn around. David and Bathsheba's sorrow turned to joy at the birth of another son, Solomon, and a new beginning ensued for the both of them. Moreover, God's promise to establish David's dynasty could now be realized, "I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons...and his throne shall be established forever" [1 Chronicles 17:11-14]. 

• Job: We all know his story...it is the quintessential happy ending story. He starts off rich/blessed by God, he looses EVERYTHING, including his health. It seemed like there would be no end to his troubles and when he thought it couldn't get any worse, it did! BUT God! God gave back to him everything he lost, and then some. 

Then there's the ultimate love story that has a very happy ending. Jesus! Jesus sent to redeem us from the clutches of Satan. Seemed like He failed this mission though. At least, the disciples thought so. They believed their Savior would rise up as the conquering hero and yet, he died like a common criminal. It seemed like the saddest day in history. BUT God! On the 3rd day, Jesus is resurrected, changing the course of history and bringing about a happy ending like no other!

What are you facing right now that seems to threaten that happy ending? Does this year look more like a Happy NEVER after for you? Has the ups and downs of life got you weary? Take heart...and trust God. Notice, it's not until the people mentioned above surrendered their will to God, repented and began to fully trust God that they saw a turn around in their situation. Yes, God guaranteed a happy ending for us all with the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but it's not until we grab a hold of it that we will experience it. If Joseph had been too busy worrying about how he he could escape from his unjust slavery, or was continually bemoaning his bad fortune, do you think he would have recognized the door of opportunity God created for him? I don't think so. Are you in a situation brought upon by your own hands, like Abraham, Sarah, and David? Well, like them, surrender your will, repent, and begin to trust God with your future! Are you in a situation brought upon by happenstance, like Joseph and Job? Keep your head up and simply trust God. If Jesus is asleep in the boat of your problems (Mark 4:38), then join Him, why don't you! God has got the final say and the end of your story will be a happy one. Even in death, we (as Christians) have a happy ending! 

As a child of the Most High God, a happy ending is guaranteed to you! You may be facing difficulties and grim life situations, and if God doesn't remove them immediately, He will give you the grace to walk through the valley of the shadow of death for "Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting?...where is your victory?" [1Corinthians 15:54]. Do not fear! Trust God's heart towards you, for His plan for you is not for evil, but to give you hope and a future, and to bring you to an expected end[Jeremiah 29:11, emphasis mine]. What is this expected end? A happy end of course! The sons of Korah write in Psalm 84, "Blessed (happy) is the man whose strength is in [the Lord],...as they pass through the Valley of Baca (Weeping), they make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion..." [5-7, NKJV, emphasis mine]. Be encouraged...you are much closer to your victory than you realize.

As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ this Christmas season, remember that He has come to give you, yes YOU, a beautiful story, to His glory! A happy ever after may seem so far beyond your reach, but if you'll put your complete trust and confidence in God and His plan for you, if you'll be obedient to do His will, you will have a happy ever after...GUARANTEED!!!