WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
JULY 14TH, Â 2021
TOPIC: YOUR STORY WILL END IN GLORY
BY T. O. BANSOÂ
âWeeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morningâ (Psalm 30:5b New King James Version).
Have you watched a tension-soaked football match before? You sat on the edge of your seat while the match was going on. You were not sure if your team would win or lose. Maybe it went into extra time and your team scored a goal that gave them a lead. You were happy and prayed that the match would end this way.
You prayed that the referee would just blow the whistle to end the game! But you knew that was not possible. Suddenly, some seconds before the final whistle, the other team equalized. This further increased the tension. The game was back to square one. No winner as the final whistle went.
The game must be decided by a penalty shootout. It was a ding-dong battle as the shootout progressed. Then there was a final penalty kick that would decide the winner and it would be taken by the opponent. Your heart was in your mouth. You couldnât even watch it. You only turned to watch the jubilation after the goalkeeper of the side you supported saved the ball. You joined in the celebration. All is well that ends well. Victory at last!
Comparing lifeâs problems with the tension sports competitions generate could amount to diminishing the enormity and agony of lifeâs problems. A prolonged football match is over in a matter of hours whereas lifeâs problems could last a lifetime if there is no remedy. An emotional story in a one-hour movie could, in real life, continue for decades.
In Mark 5:25-34, there is the story of a prolonged lifeâs problem. It lasted twelve years. When the problem began, the victim, a woman, didnât know it would not be resolved within a week. But she ended up suffering many things from doctors. She spent all her money to settle medical bills but instead of her condition improving. It was getting worse.
For twelve years, this woman was abandoned, she couldnât relate with people because she had a hemorrhage. According to the law, she was ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:25-30). This was her story until she met Jesus and her story ended in glory. Her encounter with Jesus terminated her affliction. She wriggled her way through the crowd and got her healing by touching the clothes of Jesus though she was unclean. Her faith healed her.
After confessing to Jesus that she touched Him, Jesus said to her, âDaughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your afflictionâ (Mark 5:34 New King James Version). Her story is also recorded in Matthew 9:18-26 and Luke 8:40-56.
No matter how long your affliction has lasted, I decree your freedom, healing, deliverance in Jesusâ name. This womanâs story ended in glory. Your story too will end in glory. âWeeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morningâ (Psalm 30:5 New King James Version).
In John 11, Lazarusâ story ended in glory. Â When Jesus was first told of his sickness, He replied that the sickness was not unto death but he died and had been buried for four days before Jesus got there. Jesus left only two days after He heard of his sickness.
Lazarusâ sister said Jesus should have come earlier. She Martha accused Jesus of coming late otherwise her brother wouldnât have died. She, however, added that nevertheless, she knew God would give Jesus whatever He asked (verse 21). When Jesus assured her that her brother would rise again, Martha replied that he would rise at the resurrection.
Also, another sister of Lazarus, Mary, accused Jesus of coming late otherwise her brother wouldnât have died (verse 32). Â But in John 11:40, Jesus said to Martha, âDid I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?â In the end, Lazarusâ story ended in glory. Jesus raised him from the dead (verses 40-44).
With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). All things are possible to him that believes (Mark 9:23). God can bring the dead back to life and bring into existence what didn’t exist before (Romans 4:17). Whatever good thing has died in your life shall receive the life of God today. Â God will wipe away your tears and your story will end in glory.
In his prophecy, which was fulfilled in Jesusâ Christ, the prophet Isaiah said, among other things, that the Lord was upon Him to console those who mourn in Zion, give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness so that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD that He may be glorified (Isaiah 61:3).
This was exactly what Jesus did for the widow of Nain. The story is recorded in Luke 7:11-15. This widowâs only son was going to be buried. The devil is a bad devil! This is just to qualify him â nobody should expect that the devil would be good. He killed the only son of a widow. Her pain is unimaginable. Jesus had compassion on her and stopped the funeral procession. He said to the woman, âDo not weep.â
That was not a good way to comfort a sorrowful widow except you had a solution to her problem. She had lost her husband, and now she had lost her only son. She must have felt had lost everything. Yet, someone said she shouldnât weep. But Jesus wasnât mourning with her or just trying to console her. She wanted her story to end in glory. Jesus walked to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped.
The pall-bearers and other mourners must have been shocked by the interruption of their procession. But Jesus had no business with them. His business was with the woman and her son. Therefore, He said, ââYoung man, I say to you, ariseâ (Luke 7:14 New King James Version). And the Bible says he who was dead sat up and began to speak. Jesus presented him to his mother (verse 15). This womanâs story ended in glory. Her mourning turned into dancing. In the name of Jesus, your weeping will end this season and your joy will come.
The psalmist said, âYou have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You foreverâ (Psalm 30:11-12 New King James Version). Your story will end in glory. Your mourning shall turn into dancing. You will dance for joy as you thank God.
Have faith in God. The woman with the issue of blood whose case we considered earlier had faith. She said to herself that if she could touch the garments of Jesus, she would be made whole (Mark 5:28). She did and she was healed. You are healed in Jesusâ name. The Lord will turn your desolation into abundance (Isaiah 49:19). Donât lose hope. This is not your end. You may have been cut down, but you will sprout again. You will bud and bring forth branches like a plant (Job 14:7-9).
The Lord shall turn your situation around like a dream. It will seem so unreal (Psalm 126:1). He will restore to you the years that the swarming locust, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust have eaten (Joel 2:25). Â Instead of your shame, you will have double honour and instead of confusion, you will rejoice in your portion. Therefore, in your life, family, business, ministry, and the likes, you will possess double and everlasting joy will be yours (Isaiah 61:7).
The story of Hannah ended in glory. She had five more children after Samuel. A woman who had been barren and her rival, Peninnah, made fun of ended having six children (1 Samuel 1:19-20; 2:21). Your story will end in glory. The story of Sarah ended in glory with the birth of Isaac after many years of barrenness (Genesis 21:1-7). Your story will end in glory. As God made Sarah laugh, He will make you laugh.
Psalm 149:5 says, âLet the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their bedsâ (New King James Version). Glorious joy shall be your portion. Your story will end in glory.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, let my story end in glory, not in shame. Instead of my shame, give me double honour. Restore to me the years that the swarming locust, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust have eaten. Turn my mourning into dancing. Give me beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning.
(For over 600 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
  
  
  
  
