Greg Laurie - Friday, November 30, 2018

The End Is Determined by the Beginning

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

—Psalm 23:4

“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me,” David wrote. But have you ever wondered what that means? A shepherd had two primary instruments for guiding his sheep: a rod and a staff. A rod was basically a club, and a staff was a long, crooked instrument. When a sheep went astray, the shepherd would pull him in with the staff. And when necessary, the shepherd used the rod.

God used both in the life of Jacob. But the Bible tells us that as Jacob was dying, he “worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff” (Hebrews 11:21 NKJV). I love that. He was worshiping at the end of his life.

If you want to be spiritually strong at the end of your life, then be spiritually strong right now. The end is determined by the beginning, the evening by the morning. Walk with God now, and you will be walking with Him then. You will be able to look back reflectively over your life and worship, recognizing that God was in control all along.

Psalm 48:14 says, “For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death” (NKJV). The same God who has led you from the earliest days of your youth will be with you at the very end of your life. Then He will be there to usher you into eternity. When my son Christopher died, I believe that he was ushered into the presence of God, just as all Christians will be when they die.

We don’t know when that day will come. All we can do is seek to live our lives well. Let’s live them for the glory of God and do all that we can while we can. And let’s make sure we’re prepared for eternity.