Answering God's Call

The First and Last Hurrah

Two powerful events took the church by surprise yesterday. A baby born and a father died. On the same day when church people ‘shouted’ their first hurrah for a life born they also grieved over another life that passed away.

Birth and death. To one life was given, to another it was taken. Both powerfully create surges in people’s emotions- one causes exuberant joy while the other pain. Yet both come from God. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away (Job 1:21). Both are His appointed seasons, “a time to be born and a time to die…” (Ecclesiastes 3:2).

In these two powerful events, one truth remains: everything begins and ends with God. Revelations 21:6 reminds us that God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He breathes life. He can sap it out from any of us. He is the Beginning. He is the End. 

Although we rejoice over every birth and grieve over every death, fact remains that God is in control. Despite the striking contrast between these two events, God is still worthy to be praised- He is the Beginning and End of all things. He deserves praises in all situations. He is our first and last hurrah.