I confess.
I skip to the end of the book.
I don’t do it right from the start, but by the time I am roughly two-thirds of the way through a novel, when characters are established, conflicts are clear, and action is rising, I read the last few pages.
More times than not, an ending I find satisfying motivates me to continue reading deeply, even more attuned to an author’s technique, nudges and nuances artistically delivered to readers in this great endeavor, the art of storytelling, the genius of narration.
It sounds very “English teachery” and academic, but that’s not why I do it.
The reason I skip to the end of the book is because I do not want to be disappointed.
Yes, I know.
Life is a journey, not a destination.
But the reality is, I don’t want to take a journey to a destination I know I won’t like. Cut to the chase. Do I want to go where this is taking me?
I am not always looking for a happy ending, but I want a good one, and knowing it in advance does not keep me from enjoying the process because knowing the ending doesn’t ruin the story. A bad ending ruins the story.
Time is valuable. Suspense is overrated. Endings should satisfy.
When it comes to what really matters, wouldn’t it be helpful to see all the way to the end of a thing having confidence it will not disappoint? To know that what lies at the top of the climb will be worth the time, effort, and investment it requires to get there?
Our search for significance lures us in many directions, chasing satisfaction down many paths.
What lies at the end of
the bottom of the glass at the end of the party, the bottom of the barrel at the end of collections, the leftovers on the table at the end of deliberations, the hollow in the heart at the end of relationship, the fraying fringe at the end of the rope, the remains at the end of what remains to be seen?
The story of life, our very existence, begs questions.
Am I significant? What matters? What will last?
What is good and how can I make a lasting contribution to it?
David, the shepherd, the psalmist, the boy, the king, asked these questions too, wanting to skip to the end of the book. And when he does, he encourages in Psalm 65 with the grandest of all spoilers.
O you who hear prayer,
To you shall all flesh come.
When iniquities prevail against me,
You atone for our transgressions.
Blessed is the one you chose and bring near, to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple.
By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of all the earth and of the farthest seas.
Psalm 65:2-5 [emphasis mine]
The salvation of God, whose name is Jesus, is the hope of the end of every path, every endeavor, every longing, every desire.
All.
All the ends of all the earth.
And everything earthly.
The end of knowledge, degrees, and academia
The end of politics, power, and governments
The end of wealth, luxury, and possessions
The end of love, sex, and romance
The end of popularity, pride, and fame
The end of good deeds, social justice, and programming
God chooses us and brings us near, inviting us to skip to the end of the book and embrace His truth so we can dwell in His courts, satisfied with the goodness of His house.1
He answers our questions in awesome deeds with righteousness.2
Am I significant?
Yes. I am created in the image of God and He loves me. I can wonder and create, reason and love. I can exercise my free will. He created me individually and especially for a relationship with Him, one that He initiates.3
What matters? What will last?
Since I am created in the image of God, I matter and I will last.
Since I am the created and not the Creator, I live my story in the grander context of His story, not merely my own.
He is eternal. I am created for eternity and I will spend an eternity defined by my relationship to God.4
What is good and how can I make a lasting contribution to it?
God is good. Anything He defines as good is good. His goodness is so pure and perfect that He will not be in relationship with anything that is not good. Wholly good. Holy good.
I can value what is good and make every effort to be good and seek good, but I can never be good because my pride and my selfishness, whether one tiny transgression or a load of them, prevails against me. The tiniest of “not good” is not good.
I am helpless to contribute to eternal goodness, helpless to be in a relationship with wholly good, holy good God, an eternal problem with no resolution.5
…but God.
Out of His intentional and steadfast love for us, God atones for our transgression by the blood of His cross. He offers to rewrite the only ending we could author in our own devices, covering our “not good” with His holy goodness, offering His righteousness to wear as our own.6
By awesome deeds, You answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation,
The hope of all the ends of the earth.
Psalm 65:5
What is at the end of everything I seek in my effort to find what is good?
Jesus, God’s righteous answer and awesome deed.
When I accept the salvation He offers, I know the end of the story.
So can you.
Once we know the ending, we can go back to the pages in between and embrace the rising action, best enjoying the journey as we focus on the destination.
Why?
Time is valuable. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. As we learn to number our days, we should joyfully contribute to making the world a better place by what we create and contribute to our families, our communities, our careers, and our rest.7
Suspense is overrated. The enemy lies and our hearts know it. Living in this suspense- consciously or subconsciously- comes in many forms: anxiety, depression, anger, control, manipulation, exploitation, division, unrest, wars, and rumors of war. We are called to live out and speak aloud the spoiler alert to the story the enemy tries to write.8
Endings should satisfy. The true Author of the story has written in red an ending that restores what is good. There won’t be a sequel. It is finished. He desires that every single human being enjoys a good ending, offering His solution freely to all, but He’s not pushy. His invitation, the gift of grace which is salvation, if offered, not forced. We can accept His ending or write our own.
And the ending is good for those who belong to the Author.
About Psalm 65
Psalm 65 is a lyrical poem describing the salvation of God not only for Israel but also all of the nations of earth using David’s observation of and appreciation for the beauty of nature. Many believe it was written for the Feast of Tabernacles, designed to celebrate the gathering of the harvest at the end of the growing season.9
In literature, nature often serves as a metaphor. This psalm can be read explicitly as a psalm of praise for the bounty at the end of the harvest season and God’s provision. It can also be applied, as I have done here, to the meaning of life, an expression of God’s provision along our journey to the end of our earthly growing season.
References
- See Psalm 65:4.
- See Psalm 65:5.
- See Genesis 1:26, 2:16-17; Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 31:3; 1 John 4:32; Luke 19:10
- See John 3:16, 8:24, 11:25-26; Revelation 20:11-25, 21, 22.
- See Genesis 1:22-24; John 3:3-15; Romans 3:23, 6:23.
- See Ephesians 2:1-10.
- See Psalm 90:12; John 10:10; Ephesians 5:16.
- See Matthew 28:19-20; Isaiah 52:7; 1 Peter 3:13-16.
- “Free Bible Commentary from Pastor David Guzik.” Enduring Word, https://enduringword.com/.
Faithful To Complete 