AND WE LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER
by Kathy Pegram

We need to realize that our Bible is unfolding our future for us. It begins "In the beginning" (or once upon a time) and it ends, "and the Christians lived happily ever after". I can look at all the problems this life brings, I can look around at the heartbreak, disappointment, sickness, etc., then I can get my Bible and read about how happily ever after is coming.

Fairy tales always show us the evilness and the goodness. We can read Cinderella. We can say poor Cinderella, she is beautiful and doesn't even know it. Those evil stepsisters have beaten her down so much she believes everything they tell her. But then her fairy godmother arrives and shows Cinderella her potential. Sure, it takes a while for her to accept that she is more than what her evil stepsisters are trying to make her believe she is. But eventually she gets her handsome prince and lives happily ever after.

So my question is, when will we read the end of the book? When will we realize Satan is just like the big bad wolf, the evil stepsister, the wicked witch, etc.? He wants to beat us down and hold us back from the place God is calling us to. Consider this, Jesus is our handsome prince just waiting to put that crown on our head. He knows it fits. He sees past the ragged clothes and insecure attitudes. It is His great love for us that so enrages Satan. Satan is determined to destroy our relationship with Jesus because he knows that he can never have a part in it. But read The Book. It tells us in Isaiah 14:16: "Those who see you stare at you (Satan), they ponder your fate; 'Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?''

Basically, we are saying, "You? You're the one we were scared of so long? You're the one we have been listening to and believing?" Then we'll walk into our Lord's embrace and never have to deal with Satan again. Yes it's in The Book! We can know the beginning, the middle, and the end. We can know our future by staying in the Word. The thing we need to remember is as long as we serve Him we know how it ends. We live happily ever after. So the next time Satan comes your way and says God doesn't care about you, you're all alone, you are such a loser. Just tell him... "Hey I know how the story ends! For me it's happily ever after. For you, well, let's just say get ready for a barbecue that lasts an eternity!"

Love and Prayers,
Kathy