Living Happily Ever After?

Pastor Tim Howard
May 16, 2009

I can’t remember the first movie I ever saw, but I do remember the kind of movie I liked to watch as a kid. There had to be a lot of action, a lot of suspense and a superhero was indispensable. You know the kind I mean! Everything looks hopeless, evil is winning, darkness is setting in and the end is sure to bring disaster, when out of the blue, a superhero appears! Maybe it’s Mighty Mouse who shows up to save the day or Superman who comes just in the nick of time to defeat the opposing forces and free the people. I loved that kind of movie because they always ended on a positive note. Do you remember that familiar phrase: “They lived happily ever after?”

Recently I have experienced some dark moments and today I read a verse from the book of Isaiah found in the Bible. It cleared the air and brightened my outlook. Here’s what Isaiah 3:10 says: “Tell those who seek God that it will go well with them and they will receive a reward.” This verse expresses the Christian equivalent of “they lived happily ever after”… it shall go well with them! In the original Hebrew, the word well can be translated by many other English words. It means that which is “good, gracious, prosperous, pleasant and precious”. It’s actually speaking about a state of wellbeing or happiness. It can also be used to speak of the state of an individual who has suffered financial reversal, but whose fortune has now been fully restored. Isaiah, the old prophet of God paints a picture of a bright future for all those who put their trust in God. He assures believers that they may be knocked down but they will not be knocked out. They may be persecuted but they will not be forsaken. They will surmount the obstacles in their paths, overcome current difficulties and ride out the storms of life. Even though they go through the valley and shadow of death they need not fear evil because there will be a happy ending.

Even though superheroes and Santa Claus don’t really exist, there is a Savior who is willing and able to turn your life around. Jesus is more than a superhero. He is supernatural and when He comes upon the wreckage of our lives, in the natural realm, things are altered. It doesn’t matter how broken, bruised or devastated we are. Things may be bleak and dark but Jesus can save the day. Your future doesn’t need to be bleak. You don’t have to expect the worst. You can expect the best! In difficult times, remember this promise: “Tell those who seek God that it will go well with them…” The Bible even tells us there is life after death. If you put your trust in Him, you really do live happily ever after.