Articles
Once Upon a Beginning
“Once upon a time” is the familiar phrase that coins the start of many fairytales, with “The End” marking…well, the end of the story. Life is marked by beginnings and endings, isn’t it? This truth has become a reality once again, as my family and I join the work at Beaver Dam church of Christ – a reality we couldn’t be more thankful and excited for! We truly look forward to being part of the community here.
We have no expectations of a “fairy tale” life in coming here, we expect challenges and hardships along the way, both for our family and those we’ll be working with. That’s life! What about God’s expectations for our lives though? That’s what matters!
God didn’t start His book with “Once upon a time.” It’s no fairy tale. It’s filled with real-life events and lessons. Instead, God started His book with a far more monumental statement of “In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1). Have you ever thought about the magnitude of that statement? Truly, it was once upon a time that time began, as we know it!
What about “the end” though? There’s an end to God’s Word, to be sure, as we read the final words of Revelation 22:20-21, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” While the Bible ends there, we still find ourselves here. What are we going to do with that information and everything in between?
In faith, I can assure you that Jesus is coming soon and there’s only one of two endings that will be written for the end of our life and for the life to come. God has made it clear the choice is ours to make, and we add another page to our own story every day. Is God and the story of His Son, the Christ, part of our storyline? It’s as the wise man wrote in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
Will we fulfill our duty, ready for the judgment? What started “In the beginning” has been done with purpose to prepare us for “the end.” It’s only through Jesus that we can be assured of the greatest “happily ever after.”
