“Then He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” Revelation 21:6-7 NIV
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV
I have always loved the above verses of Scripture. God describes Himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, assuring us that He holds this world together from start to finish. Better still, He has planned an eternal home in Heaven for all who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord before they leave this earth.
Presently, we live in an imperfect and sinful world. Consequently, pain, sorrow, and suffering will sometimes affect each of us. We often grow disheartened when we become tired and weary from life’s challenges—a normal human response familiar to us all. Rarely do we understand why bad things happen as they do, but through it all, God’s Word assures us that He has a plan. We may not understand it, but He does. He is always on duty, tending to every small or extensive detail of our lives. How wonderful to know that His love for us will never fail, nor will He ever let us down. He will be with us through every burden and sorrow we face now or in the future. We have every reason to trust Him because He is who He says He is, and His promises are sure and intrinsically sound.
A committed relationship with Jesus will always be the catalyst that holds us together in tough times. Without it, our hearts cannot have lasting hope or peace. But, when we have the eternal hope found only in Jesus, our perspective of life here on Earth and our future life in eternity will be transformed in amazing ways. We will begin to look at our life differently, knowing that the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, is always there, giving us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. With eternal hope, things change in our present life as we are empowered to face our most significant challenges with courage, trust, and deep faith.
Today and every day, I am grateful for the peace and joy that Jesus brings to us as we allow Him to continue doing the needed soul work in our lives. His wonder-working power brings healing, restoration, joy, and eternal hope. His miraculous and transformative power filling our lives is a priceless gift. May we never let go of the gratefulness for such hope.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we honor You as the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, and praise Your Holy name. We don’t have enough words to tell You how much we love and appreciate all You have done for us. Thank You for Jesus, who paid our sin debt so we might one day live in Heaven forever. Help us in times of weariness to hold fast to the promises You so freely give throughout Your Word. Your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, and we are so grateful that we are helped by the One who laid down His life for us. We ask You to help us be fervent torch-bearers for Jesus in all we think, say, and do. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
When I need to be awestruck by God’s greatness and goodness, I read Psalm 139. My thoughts naturally gravitate to the question, How can a God who knows me so well think about me constantly? It says that His thoughts of me are more than the grains of sand on the seashore. And when I think about that, I give up trying to understand such a force and simply recall that He has promised to be with me to the end. That constantly leaves me with a second thought, How can I fail to acknowledge Him and place myself under His control?