Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
Three words have great hope and possibilities: “In the beginning.” These three words bring so much potential and so much that cannot be seen if God is kept in the conversation. However, it is when God is pushed out of the conversation and Satan’s influences come into the conversation that the hope of the beginning is squelched.
Every day in my personal study of the Scriptures, I read a portion from the Old and New Testament. One day, I was reading from the book of Revelation and saw the destruction that came in the end. On the same day, I started reading in the book of Genesis. The great difference between the beginning and the end was what happened in between. The end was so bad because the between was filled with sin. Had the between been filled with God and holy living, the end would have been bright with no destruction.
Your life is only as bright as what you put between the beginning and the end. Everyone starts with a bright beginning because you start out with a fresh slate, but it is what you allow to be written on the between of your life that determines the ending that you will either enjoy or endure.
Many churches start out with such great potential because of what God wants to do in that church. However, it is what that church does with the between that determines its end. If the church stands for right and continues to go after souls, the future of the church is bright. If the church compromises and stops going after souls, the end of that church is demise and death.
Many businesses start out with such grand dreams and potential, but it is what the owner does between the beginning and the end that determines what becomes of that business. If that owner puts God first, makes wise business decisions, and works hard, the future of that business is bright. However, if that business owner pushes God out and is lazy, the end of that business will quickly come.
My friend, it is what you put between the beginning and the end that will determine the end of anything that you do, including your life. What made the beginning so bright was what came after the beginning, and that was God. As long as God was involved with what was going on, great works happened, joy was found, and peace ruled in the lives of mankind.
However, it was when the serpent entered the between that everything went downhill to the point that everything ends up being destroyed in the book of Revelation. When you let the wrong enter into your life is when you are painting a harsh ending to your life.
The only way God turned things around was a new heaven and a new earth. The good thing about God is that He can always give you a new beginning if you come back to Him. You may have destroyed the first beginning, but you can always have a new beginning with God and build a bright future with Him involved in your life.
It does matter how you start out, but it matters more what you put into your life after the start. If you want to have a good ending to your life, you better be careful what you put between the beginning and the end. Those who keep God as their central focus between the beginning and the end are the ones who enjoy what becomes of their life at the end.
