That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11
Ever tempted to flip to the back of a book—or fast forward to the ending of a movie to see what happens?
As a boy, C.S. Lewis often found himself longing to know how a story really ended. He felt an aching desire for something more. Later in life, Lewis came to see that this wasn’t just about stories. He said, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”[1] Lewis’s longing to know how the story really ends pointed beyond fiction to the truest story written by God.
When we ache to know what comes next, it’s because our hearts were made for the final chapter that God has written. In that chapter, the Bible declares that evil doesn’t win, sorrow is no more, injustice comes to an end—with final, perfect justice handed out and joy that lasts forever.
“Tell all the nations,” scripture says, “The Lord reigns! … He will judge all peoples fairly … [for] He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth” (Psalm 96:10,13). On that day, the Bible says that “ … every single knee … in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue [will] declare that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11).
It’s the ending called “eternity” that was meant to be glorious for all, but not all will have chosen to follow Jesus. For them, the ending is dark and final. But your story isn’t over yet. “There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”[2] Your final chapter can still be one spent in never-ending joy and the beauty of God’s presence—if you choose Him.
[1] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, HarperOne, 2001, p. 136.
[2] C. S. Lewis, The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3. Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950 – 1963, HarperCollins Publishers, 2009
