“Therefore we also,
since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight,
and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
I love books. While I haven’t taken nearly as much time lately to read as I’d like, I have been living out the chapters of my own book.
We all are.
Just like the countless stories we read in the Bible, we each have our own story. Some are more dramatic, some tragic, some adventurous, some joyful, and thankfully, all with a little comedic relief.
All our stories look different, but all have one Author and one Finisher: Jesus.
Long before we were born He knew the story that would be written with our lives. He knew how each chapter would unfold and what would need to take place to propel the story forward, to complete our faith, until our story was finished, our faith perfected.
Sometimes we don’t understand what’s going on.
Why is this happening in my life, and why is it happening now?
And sometimes we can start looking at other people’s stories, comparing ours with theirs, wishing our story had a chapter or two out of their book.
But our God is a personal God, and our story is unique. Our Author takes into account its characters and how and what they need in order to develop, bit by bit, until fully grown.
So while our story may be at times full of pain and questions, we never walk through it alone. Our Author walks with us.
The choice we have is whether or not to walk with Him. To accept the story He’s given us, and even receive it with thanksgiving, knowing that He’s using it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly, to change us, grow us, and mature us until our faith is complete.
And somehow, someway, He is making all our stories work together into one grand narrative that ultimately tell one story, His story. A story of grace and mercy, love and beauty. A story of redemption, faith, forgiveness, strength, and hope.
A story of the gospel, lived out in our very own lives.
One day we’ll see that more fully than we ever can now. Because when the book closes on the story of our lives here, the exciting sequel begins, the likes of which the world has never seen.
So let’s rejoice that we play a part in the grandest of stories, and that our Author and Finisher is with us and loves us to the end.
In Him,
