The End of The Beginning
I don’t always like the ending. I also don’t always like new beginnings. I like what I’m used to in most cases. In my life, I’ve had a few endings that were painful. Some endings just meant that I had some adjustments to make. Other endings were harder to work through because they felt so different and permanent. I don’t remember how old I was when I experienced the death of a friend who was nearly my age. She was killed by a drunken driver. I also remember clearly the deaths of my grandparents. Death isn’t the only ending that is hard – a new job is tough to adjust to.
New beginnings bring an era of hope. When a new chapter of life begins, we can’t forget the lessons we learned from the old chapter, but the old chapter is now in the past.
Jesus came to build upon the old law, but He also came to give direct access to God for anyone who believes in Him. There is a simple sentence that gives a picture of this new access. Check this out….
37 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
39 When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:37-39 NLT)
Jesus’ death was a new chapter in human history. We now have direct access to God without going through a priest or a bunch of rituals. Until this moment, the human connection with God was through a priest or religious leaders. Now and forever more, we can go to God directly in prayer for repentance, petition, praise and wisdom. Jesus also told of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit Who would come and dwell in our hearts. The Presence of God is now inside my heart. This was a crazy new beginning that came at the end of Jesus’ human life. I believe that Jesus was fully human and fully divine. At the end of His human life, He made a way for the Power and the Presence of God to dwell inside me.
I’ve been walking with the Lord for several years now and He has been with me through endings and beginnings. He is consistent. His Presence in me changes my perspective on EVERYTHING! I’m not fearful of endings or beginnings because He will direct my path through either.
Pressing On!
Dwayne