HAPPY ENDINGS : Alexis A. Goring : Faithful Friday

Happy Endings: They’re not just for the movies!

A devotional by Alexis A. Goring

One of my favorite songs from the 1982 original version of the movie Annie is called “Let’s Go to the Movies!” It’s a beautiful, fanciful tune. Lately, it’s been on my mind.

I’ve been singing it often while listening to the replay on YouTube. But it wasn’t until one afternoon in late August 2020, that God showed me a spiritual parallel between the song lyrics and real-life. I realized that happy endings are not just for the movies. You can have a happy ending to the story of your life when you choose to follow Jesus Christ!

Best of all, it’s not really an ending, just happiness for all eternity! Through the sacrifice of His Son (Jesus Christ), God offers you the free gift of salvation. The Bible says that all who call upon the name of the Lord (Jesus Christ) will be saved (Acts 2:21).

What does it mean to be saved? Lovely, it means that God will save your soul in His Kingdom. It means that all of your pain and heartache that you experienced on this earth will end forever and God will restore you completely. It means that when Jesus Christ returns to Earth and takes His faithful followers home to Heaven, you will live forever! The Bible says that in the blink of an eye your body will be changed from mortal to immortal (1 Corinthians 15:52) and you will live in the Presence of God forever. This forever existence will be free from sin and all of its side effects: death, destruction, pain, sickness, trauma, drama, heartache, and so much more. You will live perfectly happy and feel completely loved by your Creator God.

But you don’t have wait until you get to Heaven to feel loved by God because He loved you before you were born (Jeremiah 1:5). We don’t have to work our way into God’s Heart nor do we need to continually impress Him to earn His favor because the Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). So what are you waiting for? Who doesn’t want to enjoy a happy ending? Especially a happy ending that never ends! Open the door of your heart to Jesus Christ who loves you with His very life (John 3:16).

He stands outside the door of your heart, gently knocking, waiting for you to let Him in (Revelation 3:20). But here’s the catch: Only you have the ability to open the door. Yes, God can do anything but He chooses to not force a relationship with you because He wants you to choose Him out of your own free will.

He will never force you against your will to accept the free gift of salvation that He offers through His Son Jesus Christ. But oh, how He loves you! And oh, how much He wants you to be saved in His Kingdom. Therefore, He actively pursues you with His Love. God constantly works through people, situations, words, songs, Bible verses, and all of His Creation (including nature) to give us reasons to welcome Him in. God wants to spend eternity with You. Will you choose Him today? Remember, tomorrow is not promised (James 4:13-14) and you can have salvation today! Won’t you choose Jesus?

There are two beautiful songs that I’d like for you to listen to in closing: “Now Behold the Lamb” (as performed in “The Gospel” movie) and “Tomorrow” by The Winans.

Be encouraged, dear heart. The Creator for the Universe who is also your Maker, loves you. He’s waiting for you to believe in Him (if you don’t already) and He desperately wants you to be saved in His Kingdom.

God wants to bless you with a happily ever after that rivals every ending to a human-made book, story, or movie. Will you let Him?

Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.