The Last Word Has Yet to Be Spoken

Many years ago now, I had a friend who was in a young adult Sunday school class that I attended. When I met him, he was a leader in our church. He was married, had two kids, and a great job. 

One day in class, he shared with us that as a teenager, had struggled with addiction to alcohol. He later turned to cocaine, and then freebase cocaine. He told us how one night he found himself sleeping on the street as his parents had kicked him out of the house. He said it started to rain and it finally dawned on him that there was nothing he could do to stop the problem. For years, he deluded himself into believing that at any time he could just quit. And there he was wet, scared. And he said he just fell to his knees and began to pray… And that had been 20 years ago. I think about that guy and I think: that’s light out of darkness – even Life out of death.

Over the years I’ve seen time and time again, how God can take from the broken, the suffering, from the heartache, and completely bring out of it something new and even at times, something stronger, something beautiful…

Yesterday I mentioned that the promise of our Easter faith is that there is more beyond this life and that what is dead and gone, can give rise to something new, something beautiful. Now this dose’t doesn’t mean that God is going to always make things come out how we want. Nor does it mean that God is going to take away the most difficult times in life. But it does mean that we cannot ever give up on the power of God to change a situation… or a life… or even the world. It does mean that the last word has yet to be spoken.

I pray today, that you would trust that the same Power that raised Jesus from the dead – is still at work in you and in the church and in the world. That same power is calling you by name. It is the same power that holds you even into eternity; and that even now is seeking to make all things new.

Let us pray: We trust, O God, that you are at work even now in the dark places of our lives, and in the dark places of this world. You are the God who brings light out of darkness, hope out of despair, and even life out of death. Meet us at the deepest point of our need today. Fill us with your light. And may that light ever shine through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.