Daily Devotional – Friday, September 16, 2022
The end of a thing is better than its beginning.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 (NKJV)
Sheila was competing in an 800-meter race at school. Her bitterest rival pushed Sheila and she tumbled. Sheila picked herself up and ran after the other girls, who had now covered a great distance.
The determined girl summoned all her strength and caught up with the other girls with twenty meters to the finish line. With a final push, she crossed the line as the winner. The crowd gave her a standing ovation.
The End of a Thing is Better than its Beginning
King Solomon may have heard people like Sheila in mind when he wrote, “The end of a thing is better than its beginning.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8). Had Sheila given up after stumbling she would not have finished the race, let alone winning it. Her end was better than her beginning because she persisted and believed in herself.
Bildad, one of the friends who came to comfort Job during his ordeal, was right when he said, “Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly.” (Job 8:7). Indeed, Job’s end was better than his beginning because he perceived and believed in God.
When the End is Better than the Beginning
This principle is critical for progress in spiritual and temporal matters. In every human being’s life, there will be moments of despair. There will be long dark nights when God seems to hide His face and society does not appear to care.
It is in such times that some people give up on God, society and life. It is easy then to judge the future based on the present. How different would our lives be if we adopted an attitude of hope? If you knew your present trials do not mean your future will be bad, would you not be optimistic?
I Would Have Lost Heart…
David also believed that his ending would be better than his ending, and wrote, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD inn the land of the living.” (Psalms 27:13).
Do not allow the present uncertainty and darkness to kill your dream. Even the longest night dawns into a beautiful morning. The tears of the night will lead to a morning of abundant joy. Hang in there. Your end will be better than your beginning.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, teach me not to judge my future by my current negative circumstances.
