It’s All Gonna Be Alright

He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with everyone. Amen.

— Revelation 22:20-21

Stories should have good endings, right? Whether it’s a novel, TV episode, standalone film, or continuing series of any kind, you know there will be hard plot lines along the way. You’ll feel sad, angry, and confused at times, but you endure all of it, hoping that everything will work out in the end, just as it should. If you invest yourself in a story, you want to feel satisfied when you close the book or walk out of the theater.

You may not have done that yet with God’s story—the story of the Bible. You may have read some parts that are confusing or sad or make you angry. You may understand that God’s story impacts your story, but your story is confusing and sad and sometimes makes you really angry, too. Maybe it seems like nothing could ever work out right. So investing yourself fully in God’s story feels like it’s more than you can take.

If that’s you—if it’s ever been you—read Revelation 22:20-21 again. One of Jesus’s disciples, John, was right in the middle of a hard season. You know, one of those confusing, sad, and frustrating circumstances that come to us all in life. He’d been banished to an island—and not for a summer vacation. Christians were experiencing significant persecution, and John was in exile for that reason. In that part of John’s story, God gave John a vision to show him—and us—how it would all work out in the end. Revelation 22:20-21 are the last two verses of the Bible, and they confirm the point of all the rest.

Whatever circumstances you’re going through, whatever hard season in your story you have to endure—invest yourself fully in it with Him. Every confusing, sad, and frustrating subplot will one day be made right. The end of the story for those who trust in Jesus Christ is one of complete grace and glory. Knowing and believing this truth will give you grace and glory during your struggle now, too.

• Listen to Matthew West’s “Last Page of the Bible.” What lyrics stand out to you as particularly encouraging? Which stand out to you as challenging?
• Read Revelation 21:1-8. What does God want you to know and believe about your story?
• Thank God that it’s all going to be alright. Confess the doubts you’ve had about that, and ask Him to show you His grace in the confusing, sad, and frustrating circumstances of life.