“"The end of a thing is better than its beginning” (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

Look at the life of your Savior. On Earth, He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, but in Heaven, He sits at His Father's right hand until His enemies are made His footstool.

"As He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). You must bear the cross, or you’ll never wear the crown; you must wade through the mire of Earth, or you’ll never walk the golden streets of Heaven. Cheer up, then, poor Christian. "The end of a thing is better than its beginning”.

See that creeping caterpillar worm, how contemptible its appearance! It’s the beginning of a creature that will have gorgeous wings, flying instead of crawling in the end. That beautiful butterfly is like your changed body when Christ comes back for you (1 Corinthians 15:52-54). So, be content to be like Him, “a worm, and no man” in your days on Earth, with the assurance that you’ll wake up in His likeness (Psalms 22:6, 1 John 3:2).

Today, you’re a rough diamond on the Master-jeweler’s table. He carefully chisels off pieces to achieve a perfect jewel. After endless polishing, it’s fixed to the King’s crown. The crown is placed on His head to the sound of trumpets and Heaven gasps at the glittering jewels.

You can imagine yourself as one of those jewels because He’s transforming you daily. Let faith and patience have their perfect work, for in the day the crown is set on His head, one of the light beams will be from you. “‘They shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My jewels’” (Malachi 3:17), so your end will be better than you could ever imagine.

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