They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4
It was much too early in the morning. Slowly slipping downstairs after a half-slept night, I reached the worn couch and sunk myself into it. Outside, the inky-black sky matched my heart. Depressed. Sullen. Uncertain.
My older son, who has Crohn’s disease, had a flare-up last night, and I felt helpless. All I could think was, What are the answers? What do we do?
Desperately turning the pages of my worn Bible, I sought comfort. Perspective. Hope. At the end of my rope, I turned to the end of my Bible.
The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. . . . There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:2-5 (NIV)
Sitting there, I felt just like a girlfriend of mine in my book club. She routinely takes the book for the month, turns to the end, and reads the last page—sometimes even the last chapter. She creates her own spoiler alert and keeps the ending in her mind as she reads the story. I’ve always found this a ridiculous way to read a book. Until this morning.
Because my soul needed the ending.
I read this passage over and over. I needed to know that the whole travail of human history adds up to this: leaves that heal, curses lifted, servants serving, foreheads stamped, and darkness lifted. This is not just any story. This is our story—of healing, identity, and light.
There are certainly dark nights when we feel helpless. But we are not hopeless. We know the ending: The King wins. He comes in victory and reigns with light. He rides in on a horse and brings His bride home. He heals every nation, puts His name on our foreheads so we never forget who we are, and gives us His light to stand in forever.
I have taken to reading the end of my Bible often. I am reading it to my children and friends because it gives me such hope. Such confidence. Our diseases and demons and darkness are not our destiny. No, our ending is full of glory, power, truth, and light. Let this be the backdrop to our battles and bruises: The King wins, and because of that so do we.
Grace Reflection: Which need is speaking to you today? A need for healing? Identity? Light? Ask God to show you the redeemed picture of the helpless feeling you have today.
This devotion has been taken from Amy’s book Grace Looks Amazing on You, releasing in April 2020. © 2019 by Amy Seiffert. All rights reserved.
Amy Seiffert is an author, writer, and teacher. She currently is on the teaching team at Brookside Church, where she also directs community groups and team cohesion. She has also been an affiliate Cru staff member for more than eighteen years. Weaving biblical wisdom through her presentations, Amy inspires, teaches, and humbly invites any willing spiritual pilgrim to walk alongside her in the pursuit of truth and the knowledge of God. Amy is married to Rob, and they live in Bowling Green, Ohio, with their three kids.
