The Story Is Not Over

by David Gibson

Don’t you love hearing about those who were far from where they needed to be, but made an unexpected, dramatic turnaround?

• Jacob deceived his blind father and took advantage of his brother, yet God shaped him into someone He could use. He grew—so much so that he is included among those heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.
• Moses was an 80-year-old has-been when God called him to lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage. At first, he tried to excuse himself from doing what God wanted him to do. But now we know the rest of the story (Deuteronomy 34:10-12).
• Jesus’ own brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5), but when they finally got on board, they were all in! James, one of those brothers, became a primary leader of the Jerusalem church and wrote the letter that bears his name.
• Anyone who knew the history of the woman at the well (John 4) could not expect much from her—unless they could see her through the eyes of Jesus.
• Blundering Peter, who even denied knowing his Master, was entrusted by Jesus with the keys of the kingdom, opening the door of salvation to the Jews (Acts 2) and the Gentiles (Acts 10).
• Who would have ever imagined that the man who arrested, beat, and jailed Jesus’ disciples would someday evangelize much of the Mediterranean world and write a significant portion of the New Testament?
• John Mark was a huge disappointment to Paul (Acts 13:5, 13; 15:36-40), but evidently Barnabas and Peter mentored him well enough so that Paul could write to Timothy, “Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service” (II Timothy 4:11). And the Gospel he wrote has blessed the church for 20 centuries!

Don’t you love the way God works?