Their Stories Aren't Finished

 

As a father and grandfather, one of my deepest hopes and most earnest prayers is that my children and grandchildren will know Jesus Christ and that, one day, we will all be together in His presence forever.

Yet I confess that I sometimes struggle with the thought that those I love so dearly may not share that hope. I pray for them, but I cannot change their hearts or bring them to faith. That realization can be distressing.

Recently, while reading Romans 9, I was struck by Paul's anguish over the unbelief of his fellow Israelites. He loved them deeply and longed for their salvation. Yet his sorrow did not prevent him from continuing to pray for them (Romans 10:1).

And consider Paul's own story. Before encountering Christ, he was determined to oppose Jesus and persecute His followers. Yet the risen Christ met him on the road to Damascus, and the man who once persecuted the Church became a faithful servant of the Lord.

I find encouragement in that. A heart that seems hardened toward God today is not necessarily beyond the reach of His mercy.

We serve a merciful and patient God who desires that people come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

So I will continue praying for my children and grandchildren, asking God to have mercy upon them, to open their eyes to Christ, to soften their hearts, and to draw them to Himself.

I cannot know what tomorrow holds for them. But I need not mistake their present unbelief for God's final judgment.

Their stories aren't finished.

And neither are the stories of those you love. Let us continue praying, entrusting them to the mercy and goodness of God.