December 14, 2025
"God Promises a Happy Ending"
Isaiah 35:1-10
If we are reading a novel, we hope the ending will be a happy ending. A tragic ending doesn’t sit well with us. In a way, a tragic ending throws our mind out of whack. That’s not how a story is supposed to end. I suppose we could say that we are programmed to expect a happy ending, to an extent. A happy ending makes us feel good. Who likes to feel bad?
If we think about it, our life is like a story. Like a story, our life faces difficulties and challenges and then comes to an end. I believe all of us hope the ending to our story here on earth will be a happy ending. We will leave this life with all of its problems and sorrows and live happily ever after with Jesus. This is the ending we are looking forward to—at least I hope we are.
It might be hard for us at times to imagine or even believe that this kind of an ending is possible. When we are standing in the fog of life, it’s hard to see what is beyond. When we are driving in the fog, it’s almost impossible to see the road in front of us. We’re not sure if we are going to run into something or not. It’s the same with life. Right now, we can’t always see what is in front of us. We don’t see the happy ending as we stand in the fog of problems and difficulties of life.
We have several people in our congregation who have been living for a long time with a disability. I can’t imagine what life must be like for them. Every day is a challenge. And there is no escaping it. They can’t run away from their disability. They can’t turn it off just like that. I’m sure they are hoping for a happy ending. But I’m also sure they may find it hard to envision a happy ending at times. The happy ending seems to be only a dream. When is the happy ending going to happen?
I’m sure we think the same, especially when we find ourselves in an extremely tough situation. The happy ending can’t come too soon for us. How long are we going to have to endure our situation, whatever that may be? How long will it take for the happy ending to arrive? Will it ever come? I'm sure these questions go through our mind.
Some people simply give up. They don’t believe a happy ending to life will ever come. They don’t believe in the happy ending after death. And sadly, the happy ending will never come for them. Doubters can’t expect to receive it.
Over the years here at Zion, I have preached many times that the Lord makes good on His promises. He always keeps them and always fulfills them. He kept His promise to send a Savior to rescue us from our sins. That promise was fulfilled in Jesus. We’re familiar with Jesus’ death and resurrection for our salvation. God kept His promise to save us. He hasn’t let us down.
God has promised to be with us until the end of the world. We have this promise written above the altar. Every week we see it and are reminded that the Lord is with us no matter where we are or what we are going through. And the Lord has kept this promise. He is with us right now. Just think how much worse our life could be if the Lord wasn’t with us. But God has kept His promise.
In our text from Isaiah we come across another of God’s promises. This promise has to do with healing. In verses 5 and 6, it says, “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.” This promise came true during the ministry of Jesus here on earth. In the gospel writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we come across the miracles of Jesus. He indeed healed the blind, deaf and lame. Our text is a prediction that Jesus would do these things. When He was on earth, He did these. So, we see that God’s promise in Isaiah came true. God fulfilled this promise.
But is this all there is to this promise? I believe there is more to it. It points us to the future as well. All the blind, deaf and lame in the Lord will be healed. They will experience that happy ending they have long been waiting for. Never again will these disabilities have a grip on them. On the Last Day, the Lord will raise their bodies to a new life, one without the diseases and infirmities one experiences in this life. In other words, their risen bodies will be perfect. Their risen bodies won’t be blind, deaf or lame.
Those with disabilities in our congregation are included in this promise. On the Last Day, when the Lord raises them to life, they will no longer have to live with a disability. That will be gone forever. In God’s kingdom, in the new order, there will be no such things as disabilities. As a matter of fact, there won’t be any problems to speak of there. Imagine that, a problem-free existence. This is what is in store for those in our congregation with disabilities.
This is what God has planned for all of us. All who believe in Jesus Christ will be the recipients of a problem-free existence. This is what our text from Isaiah alludes to. This is the happy ending God has in store for us.
This is going to happen. Think it through for a moment. If this happy ending weren’t going to happen, why did Jesus come into the world to die on the cross and rise from the dead? What would have been the point of that? What would be the point of our life in general if the happy ending of eternal life isn’t a reality for us? What I mean is what would be the point of being born and then dying to be never seen or heard from again? Why be put here in the first place? Human life doesn’t make any sense if there is no such thing as eternal life. To be put here on earth for a while and then vanish forever makes no sense.
But God didn’t put us on this earth to breathe only for a while and then never breathe again. He created us to live forever, either in heaven of hell. We don’t have to fear hell if we believe in Him. We have a happy ending to look forward to.
I hope we have set our eyes on God’s happy ending for us. Our focus on God’s happy ending for us helps us weather the storms of life we encounter now. When I find myself in a difficult situation, I remind myself that it won’t last forever. It will come to an end. What I have to endure now will be just a blip, a barely visible segment on the timeline of my existence, when I take eternity into account.
The happy ending God has in store for us will last forever. He won’t change His mind in eternity. In the course of eternity, God isn’t going to say, “You know, I said you would always be happy here. But I think I’m going to change things up a bit. It’s not going to be so good for you anymore.” God isn’t going to do this to us. His promise of a happy ending will stand for all time, forever, never to change.
This happy ending probably sounds too good to be true. I’m sure we have our doubts. It’s been taking God a long time to bring about this happy ending. And because it has been taking a long time, we’re not sure if it will ever come. God’s promises in our text are just mere words to us. That’s what His promises may seem.
Don’t let the devil deceive us. As I have always said, God makes good on all of His promises. The devil wants us to doubt and not believe, however. He wants us to believe that such a happy ending is impossible. Don’t be fooled by the devil. The devil is angry that his ending won’t be a happy ending. He hopes to take as many with him as he can to eternal suffering. As they say, misery loves company. Again, don’t give in to doubt. The Lord’s words can be completely trusted.
I would encourage us to look forward to the day when the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf made to hear, and the lame leaping for joy. That happy ending will come.