Glorious Ending

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – His answer was, "My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me. I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (GNB)

When Robert Schuller was a little boy, he studied piano. His mother was his teacher. When it came time for recital, his mother made him go over the conclusion again and again. He had to get it down perfectly!

"Keep on practicing the conclusions, Bob. Learn those last measures!" she used to say. "Look, Bob, you can make a mistake in the beginning; or you can make a mistake in the middle. The people will forget it — if you make the ending glorious!"

We all make mistakes as we go through life and we all learn from those mistakes. Every time we try something new we run the risk of making yet another mistake, and yet, if we are to be successful, we must run that risk constantly, every day. Every risk we take and every mistake we make builds our knowledge and increases our chances of making the ending glorious.

Jesus was rejected and knew the pain that comes with rejection. He knows how to help and He is there to help. He will stoop and pick us up when we fall and take our hand when we stumble. All He asks of us is that we have faith in Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, it seems that life was not meant to be easy but You are there to help us. Often our lives appear to be clouded by problems and difficulties, but You are there beside us. We lose faith in ourselves, and feel insecure and inadequate, but You have faith in us. It is difficult sometimes to look on the bright side of things, but if we have faith in You then we can see that side. Like Paul, we have thorns in our flesh, and we ask that You give us the strength to bear and conquer those thorns so that we may come to a glorious ending. Amen.