Transformed – teen devotion – April 16, 2023
One truth shared: Knowing how your story ends helps you navigate your story.
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8,9
You Know the Ending
Ever find yourself watching a predictable movie? There’s a tense moment where you don’t exactly know how the hero can win, but you know that the hero always wins. So, you just wait to see how they do it.
Life is full of tense moments too. There are some chapters where everything goes according to plan:
Grades are up. Friends are close. Family is together. Future seems clear.
But then there are chapters of life when things are anything but certain. You are frustrated by a class. Your friends seem distant. Your family doesn’t seem to care. Maybe the path you envisioned for your future is totally erased.
Those chapters are not fun. But they do not have to take you off track.
Jesus experienced the joys of discovery and the joyful laughter of friendship. He also experienced the sting of grief and the pain of betrayal. But no matter what happened, there was never any question how his story would end. He would give up his life as a sacrificial payment for your sins. And then he would come back to life to prove that the payment was good.
Sometimes your life will be predictable. A lot of times it won’t be. The good news is that your hero won the battle over sin and death for you. The circumstances of today hit differently when you compare them to the certainty you have about your eternity.
Is there an uncertainty in your life right now that you are wrestling with? Are you doubting God’s ability to work good through it? Because of Easter, you already know how your story ends. All that remains is to see how God works out the details between now and then.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, there are times in my life when I can be anxious because of the uncertainties I face. Thank you for coming into my life to show me how my story ends. Help me trust you every step of the way. Amen.
