Today is not the end of your story

I am sure that, as a Christian, there have been many times that we may have felt second-rate or inadequate. I know I have!

If you have, you are in good company; consider Moses. He murdered someone, and spent 40 years hiding away as a shepherd. God meets him and calls him to be a leader of the nation of Israel, only to see him again miss the mark by being denied access to the Promised Land because he did not trust in God enough to honour Him as holy in the sight of the Israelites, but take some of the glory for himself (Numbers 20:10 - 12).

Or take Elijah. An amazing prophet through whom God performed amazing signs – the greatest probably being on Mount Carmel when he confronted the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). But when Queen Jezebel vowed to have Elijah killed, he ran for his life. He experiences fear, anxiety and depression, and as a result, God gets Elijah to anoint Elisha as his replacement (1 Kings 19).

Two failures: Moses in taking God's glory for himself; and Elijah crippled by mental health problems. Maybe we can identify with either or both of their weaknesses.

But the story doesn't end there! Centuries later, Moses and Elijah are seen with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Luke records, "Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem". (Luke 9:30, 31)

Many commentaries say that Moses and Elijah were selected by God to represent the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets in Jesus. Were they the best representatives? Possibly not. So, I wonder whether they were selected for another reason: to demonstrate that whatever failures they may have felt they were, they could experience righteousness, holiness and redemption in relationship with Christ Jesus.

Paul puts it this way, God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."(1 Corinthians 1:27 – 30) and, For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18)

Be encouraged that today is not the end of our stories – there is more to come; and that one day, we too shall be adorned in glorious splendour talking with our Saviour in heavenly places