Whatever you do, hold on to hope! the tiniest thread will twist into an unbreakable cord. Let hope anchor you in the possibility that THIS IS NOT THE END OF YOUR STORY!!!!!
All of us have lived lives that tell an interesting story! Some of us have had stories of triumph! and some of us, stories of failure, and heartbreak! Some have stories of much change, and unsettled longings! Others seem to live lives that are just a blurr!! My book of life, has had many chapters, and they all seemed, for years, to be chapter after chapter of mistakes, bad decisions, "dropped" ambitions, wrong turns, and question after question of, "how did I get here!" ....each chapter, looking to the next, for answers; for hope; for daylight! There were many times throughout the book of my life, when I wanted to just close the book! And never look back!
That is where so many people are today! Book after Book of purposes, dreams, and visions are being closed because they can't seem to find the perfect scenarios and outcomes in their stories. My advice to those people is to never give up on your dreams! You never know where your road of adversity is going to lead you. I never thought that all of my trials and tribulations would have brought me to this place, as a devotional writer and author! But it did! It's a good thing that I was not the Author of my own story!
Sometimes we think that life would be better if we could just write our own stories. I mean; If I would have written my own story I would have had chapter after chapter of nothing but "Unspeakable Joy!" ....verse after verse of nothing but Triumph! page after page of already fulfilled Promises! .....Oh, the book that I would write? it would be something to behold! a real page turner! If I were to write my own story! I mean, who would write their own story, as a story of hurt? a story of pain, and of being misunderstood? Who would write their own story of betrayal and death? I mean would you?? that's not how I would end MY story, if I was the writer! My story would be Joy, Joy, Joy! never pain!!! My story would have me always winning and never losing; Always well, and never sick; Filthy rich, and never broke; Having all of the pieces together, and never being broken; That's how MY story would be written, if I were the Author!
Well, over two thousand years ago, a man named Jesus wrote His own story! And from the time His chapters began, He was on a mission of filling each verse and chapter with the realities of life. He didn't write a story of pure joy and never pain!! He didn't write a story of being loved by everyone, and wronged by no one! As a matter of fact! What he wrote about was teaching others how to love their brother; He wrote about the time when he had nowhere to lay his head; He wrote about being tempted by the Enemy; and how one day he would lose his earthly life for the sake of mankind. What author does that! He wrote his own suffering into his own text? He wrote pain, into His own story! Who do you know, who would write himself in as the Main Character, and then kill himself off in the same story? .... There would seem to be no point in continuing with such a story! Ohhhh, but don't close the book just yet!!! Because after penning the details of his own death, he wrote P.S.!
You see, when a writer adds a P.S. at the end of a story, it stands for Post Scriptum! In other words; although the "Main Work" has been completed, there is an addition to the story! Jesus wanted us to know that this was not the end of His story! That there was more to come! And what He is saying to you and to me, is this:
"I have added a P.S. to your story!"
"I know that you don't feel that I have written your story the way you wanted it; but if you trust me, I will show you! that, every word of your story has been to "build you!"....every paragraph, to "strengthen you!"....every page; to give you, what would some day be your testimony! and every chapter, to allow me to shape my purpose for your life!"
......I didn't allow you write your own story, because you would have left out everything that would have lead you to me! You would have left out pain and suffering! and you would have left out those important trials and the necessary storms that help to build your character!
No, I couldn't have allowed you to write your own story, because the only person that you would have cared about, would have been yourself!
...Experiencing pain sometimes, gives you compassion for the next person! and I cannot risk you, not having these important qualities that I need for you to possess!!
...I am the author of your story! and my writing skills are perfect; even with suffering on your pages! I wrote your story for you to walk out, but for others to read. I painted the pictures on your pages for others to see!
The pages of your life are filled with the very things that I died and rose for. I died for your sins, and rose again, so that you would not be charged for them! I died for your sorrows! and rose again for your right to have joy! I died for your burdens, and rose again to teach you how to overcome them!!...I died for your storms and rose again to give you peace!!!!
....Don't you dare close the book on your story! You see, your victory has already been written onto your pages!Your breakthrough begins with chapter 5!! and your testimony is right in the middle of chapter 8...so don't you dare close that book!
You may not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I've already written it in...there will be light! You may not see how I'm going to fix that wayward child, but I've already written out his plan! You may not know how you are going to pay your bills, but I've already written in your provision! You've got to trust the story that I have written for you! It's perfect and without flaw! No author's revisions to be made, because I never make a mistake! So don't you dare, close the book on your story!
You thought it was the end for you....but I added a P.S. to your story!!!
You let the enemy know that your story is not over until I say it's over! He will try to put a period where I have placed a comma, but let him know that he's too late...
"I know the plans that I have for you, and I've already written them on the pages of your life!"
.....P.S.! I Love You,
~Jesus, The Author and Finisher of Your Faith
