The always-happy, princess Annabelle, and the always-sad Gregory, a lost boy. These are the two main characters in the bedtime story I'm telling my daughters.
Today they're anticipating the third and final part: Will Annabelle be happy again? Will Gregory discover who the people are in the broken picture that hangs on the wall in the small, wooden house? Why can he always remember his way back, but never how he came to live there? And why does the same picture of the tree with the stream also hang in princess Annabelle's castle? Why, when Gregory looks at it, does he feel a sense of belonging, of peace, of something different than sadness?
These are the questions looking for answers. But I don't know the answers. That's because I haven't "written" them yet!
When I tell a story to my daughters, I'm making it up along the way; I'm telling the story as I'm "writing" the story. But this is not the way God tells His story, which is your story, my story, our story.
God doesn't make things up as He goes along. He has no limited visibility across the distance of time. All things are set before Him - clear, open, level. All things belong to Him - completely, permanently. "All things" are his servants (Psalm 119:91).
"there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." (1 Corinthians 8:6)
With God, all things have their beginning, middle and ending in Jesus Christ. In Him all things have been and are created; everything is sustained (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16, 17). In Jesus every heavenly blessing is given (Romans 8:32), every spiritual treasure is enjoyed (Colossians 2:3) and every earthly joy and sorrow do work together for good (Romans 8:28), a good that is often beyond our comprehension and always beyond our imagination.
In Jesus alone all things are summed up and will find their fulfillment (Ephesians 1:10). Under Jesus' authority and wisdom all things have their place in history, time and space (Ephesians 1:2); He rules and reigns sovereignly, lovingly, unequivocally, flawlessly, and perfectly. "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:36)
Jesus knows the story, from beginning to end. He's not wondering what to do next; He's not confused by what just happened. What He has begun, He most certainly can and will finish (Philippians 1:6).
So listen with open eyes, open ears and an open heart.
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