Every movie you’ve ever seen, every novel you’ve ever read, has a main character that must overcome an obstacle to reach their goal. This might be an internal struggle to find confidence to follow their dreams or an external struggle to win a war, finish a quest, or find love. Have you ever watched a movie more than once and yet, even though you know the ending, you still grip the edge of your seat while the character struggles through the final action sequence?
When it comes to the plot of our lives, we know the ending! We know that for everyone who has trusted Jesus as their savior, there is a beautiful eternity in store. We will struggle through this life, but those struggles are temporary. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
But this is not based on our ability to grit our teeth and push through. There’s nothing in our power that can change our trajectory once we’ve trusted Jesus. And this is why Paul, writing the letter to the Romans, can be so sure that neither life nor death, neither angels nor demons, nor anything else can separate us from the love of God. It’s not us. It’s God and his unending, all-consuming, never-failing love for you. You are loved, and you can rest in the fact that your story will end exactly as God intends: with him in glory.
Prayer: Dear God, your love for me is never-ending! Your love for me is never-failing! Your love for me will get me through every obstacle I face in this life. Help me to remember that when I feel sad, anxious, and overwhelmed. Amen.