Do All Good Things Come to an End?
Last evening was the final night of competition of this summer’s most popular TV show, America’s Got Talent. The opening graphics proclaimed in bold and confident color—with accompanying strident voice and music, that “All good things come to an end.” We are quite used to thinking that this is true. AGT, captivating TV (Yes, I was a regular.) was ending. Performances and voting tonight; tomorrow, announcement of the results. But . . . do all good things come to an end?
Yes, “good things” come to an end, but our universe includes “things of supreme value” that never end. For example, an eternal future in the company of the Trinity is not just good, it is so far superior to “good” as to be beyond the capacity of human thought to comprehend or language to express. It is not just good, it is gooder, goodest, and then keep going. When you think you have learned how good it is, it is a million miles beyond that. No, a billion. No, it’s . . . . You get the point.
The watchful care and companionship of the Holy Spirit is not just good, it, too, is beyond our imagining. Not just “good,” but the best and the bester and the bestest. How many times has the Holy Spirit pulled me back from the edge of a cliff where I was about to plummet? In hindsight I can identify some of them but there must have been a million. No, a billion, no . . . excuse me.
Things of supreme value never end: in the future, residence in His perfect eternal kingdom; now, relationship with Him. Too good to be true? Believe it. Try it. Test it. It’s true.
So, let’s celebrate. Praise God for his unlimited love. Praise Jesus for his daring compassion. Praise the Spirit for his tireless care.
Let’s say thank you with joyful obedience. Show us, Father, our little places in your immeasurable kingdom. Teach us what we need to know so that we can give back our puny efforts toward the work you want done where we live.
And realize that some good things must end so better things can begin.
