Revelations 21:3-4

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

NIV

Have you ever read the end of the book so you know the conclusion of the story as you work your way through a piece of literature?

Do you read the reviews of movies or TV shows and watch the previews before watching that show or movie for yourself?

Do you look at the faces of those walking off of a rollercoaster ride to search for a sense of an extreme thrill with fun or to see if they have misery written all over them?

Do you look at the plates of others at a restaurant to see what they order before deciding what you want to eat?

Knowing the conclusion of an experience helps to determine our perception of an experience either while still in the middle of it or standing at the beginning.

Knowing the conclusion INFLUENCES the entire storyline as we maneuver through the book or movie- doesn’t it?

Knowing the conclusion IMPACTS our own level of excitement while waiting to ride a rollercoaster.

Knowing the conclusion ALTERS our menu choices when we see how desirable a meal looks on another’s plate.

Remember the movie the Sixth Sense? Imagine watching it for the first time and knowing the ending because someone had spoiled the surprise by sharing it with you! The movie would suddenly take on a whole new meaning because the ending is known.

On the other hand, have you ever been in line for a ride, but you could not see much of where the ride was going to take you (perhaps it is in the dark) and you were not positioned to see anyone get off the ride so you could not see what their reactions were? All you could hear was their scream as the ride commenced and then nothing else.

With the movie? I’d be ticked! Half the entertainment is watching the characters find the resolution created by the writers. There is nothing like that “AHA!” moment!

With the rollercoaster? My anxiety would shoot through the roof as I waited for my turn! My excitement is enhanced when I see the thrill on others faces as they exit the ride I am waiting to go on. When my excitement overrides my anxiety I can enjoy myself all the more fully!

It is no different for us when we think about the conclusion of our own lives…our own stories.

When I think about what it is I am afraid of one of the first things I try to do is figure out what the outcome is going to be and how I will react in that scenario.

-THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST WAY TO SPEND MY TIME AS IT TENDS TO WORSEN MY FEELINGS OF FEAR-

However…it is a natural way to process big deal issues that we are working through or facing that make us afraid.

Let’s be real for a moment-

What is it that I am afraid of?

My friend dying of her cancer.

Why does that cause fear for me?

Because I do not want to feel that depth of pain associated with grief. I do not want to miss her. I do not want to feel the depth of agony that is inevitable when I watch her family learn to cope with her gone. I am scared of living the rest of my life without talking to anyone else the way I can talk to her.

How about another~

What is it that I am afraid of?

My son graduating from high school and leaving for the Navy.

Why does that make me afraid?

I am scared of what will happen to him: will he be hurt? will he quit following the Lord? will we not be able to see him for a very long time? will our family ever be the same with him coming and going as an adult who does not “need” his mom anymore in the way I am accustomed to providing? what if he does not want the same relationship with us, his parents, as we desire to have with him as an adult?

Ugh….This sharing hurts, but I can do another-

What is it that I am afraid of?

Illness and suffering within myself.

Why does that cause me fear?

I have dreams that I want to accomplish, a life I want to live…what if I can’t due to illness? What if my Crohn’s disease changes again and brings tremendous pain or debilitating fatigue that keeps me from functioning in the simplest of activities let alone in some of the more strenuous ones? What if Covid overtakes us again? What if these vaccines do not work? What if there are crippling post-Covid illnesses that we have yet to uncover that causes mass illnesses in those who have contracted it?

Last one-

What makes me afraid?

Insignificance.

Why would that cause fear?

The voice in my head that tells me I am not “good enough” would be right.

Do you have your own list?

When I try to figure out the conclusion on my own efforts, I find that I circle the pit of possibilities that enslave me to fear. In my effort to seek for control of a situation to alter the outcome I am desperate to achieve, my anxiety begins to cripple and oppress me while I start to crush relationships between my fingers that are squeezing too tight in an effort to hang on.

In one of the Lord’s many revealed ironies, the conclusion He provides rarely gives me a direct answer for any of the issues that I am waging war against. The revelations He gives does not tell me that:

my son will be ok

the pain of losing my friend will not hurt or severely impact me

my illness will not overcome me

Covid will disappear

Then what does God’s conclusion tell me?

FOREVER MORE THERE WILL BE NO MORE DEATH, PAIN, SORROW ,OR CRYING.

“No matter what you are going through, it is not the last word- God has written the final chapter, and it is about true fulfillment and eternal joy for those who love Him.”

Life Application Study Bible NIV

This verse tells me…AT SOME POINT…all that we suffer through, that causes us pain and fear, will be no more.

Yes, I will experience loss in this lifetime.

Yes, I will experience sickness and death in others and, most likely, myself someday.

Yes, I will experience disappointments and failures mixed in with achievements.

Yes, I will lose control over the things I foolishly thought I owned and managed, but were never mine in the first place as they were gifts entrusted to me by God.

Yes, there will be and are already legitimate reasons for me, and you, to become afraid.

But, in the face of all that, we have an even larger reason to be UNAFRAID:

WE KNOW THE CONCLUSION OF GOD’S STORY…A STORY WE HAVE BEEN WELCOMED TO BE A PART OF THROUGH OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST!

His conclusion has always been to wipe away the tears from our eyes as we come to live life eternally with Him in a place that there will never be darkness and will need no light for He IS the only light that will be shining.

This side of eternity hurts. I cannot downplay that…it is what it is. With sin in this world and an enemy doing everything he can to keep us from spending our eternity in freedom, brokenness is prevalent. With sin and brokenness comes death, dying, illness, and pain.

But through the work done on the Cross by Jesus, comes REDEMPTION for that sin, HEALING for that brokenness, HOPE through the death, dying, illnesses, and pain.

One day it will all be no more…and therein lies our hope.

Until that day of final victory~

We wait.

We endure.

We perservere.

We share the Good News to others that they have something to hope for too.

We trust in the Lord to provide for us in our need.

We believe in the promises of God that tell us

• we are more than conquerors,
• that all things all possible,
• that we can do all things,
• that He works all things for good,
• that He will never leave us alone,
• that we are blessed and loved and chosen,
• that He will equip us to do what is before us.

We remember the conclusion of the story.

We determine to become UNAFRAID.