The Rest of the Story

No matter how much you’ve sinned, no matter how much you’ve stumbled, no matter how much you fall, no matter how far you’ve got from God, don’t give up. You can still be redeemed. As someone said, keep the faith. —Johnny Cash 

Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. —Ephesians 4:21–24 NLT 

Several years ago, the radio newscaster Paul Harvey hosted a short daily program called The Rest of the Story. In each program, he would relate a brief anecdote from history, a biographical sketch, or an overlooked news item. And just when you thought you knew where an anecdote was headed, he would throw in a surprise twist at the end. And then he would sign off by saying, “And now you know . . . the rest of the story.” 

There’s no evidence that Paul Harvey borrowed his idea from the authors of Scripture, but it wouldn’t have been a surprise if he had. If the Bible teaches us anything, it’s that we should always stick around for the rest of the story. 

Case in point: the man whose reaction to God’s call was “Please send someone else.” He claimed to be slow of speech and totally wrong for the job God had in mind. He tried to pawn off his brother as a substitute. Oh, and he was fugitive at the time, wanted for killing a man in a fit of rage. 

Case in point: the man whose own betrayal of Jesus on the night of His arrest may have been overshadowed by Judas Iscariot’s, but was almost as bad. He promised to stay by Jesus’ side, no matter how bad things got. A few hours later, he went into hiding, leaving Jesus to face His trial and execution alone. This man’s checkered past included being called “Satan” by Jesus Himself. 

Case in point: the man whose extreme dedication to the Jewish religion drove him to stamp out Christianity before it gained a foothold. He watched and approved of the execution of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He led a brutally effective campaign to arrest Christian leaders. His name became synonymous with persecution, and he was greatly feared in Christian circles. 

What could God possibly do with three people who sinned so egregiously or failed so miserably? Let’s see. He used the first man to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and across the wilderness to the Promised Land. And in so doing, He made the man one of the most revered figures in Jewish history. God used the second man as the cornerstone of the Christian church in the New Testament. He used the third man to plant new churches throughout the Roman Empire (and beyond) in his work as the most influential Christian evangelist ever. 

Moses, Peter, and Paul would all heartily agree with Johnny Cash’s encouragement to not give up. God will bless your sincere second efforts. And that’s the rest of the story. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your redeeming work—for never seeing anyone as a lost cause. Thank You for the examples in Your Word of people who refused to be defined by their failures. Give me the courage and strength to rise again every time I stumble. Make something special, something that brings honor and glory to You, with the rest of my story. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

This is an excerpt from Walking the Line: 90 Devotions of Truth and Hope Based on the Faith of Johnny Cash – a new devotional now available on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.