Joyous can be defined as full of happiness or full of joy. Other words for joyous are extremely happy, jubilant, satisfied, blissful, delighted, cheerful, joyful, happy, glad, pleasing, merry, gratified, elated, ecstatic, jolly, etc.
Endings is a plural noun for the word Ending. An ending can be defined as ‘end or final part of something; or the concluding part of a thing’. Other words for ending are finish, close, closing, conclusion, stopping, wind-up, breaking-off, etc.
Joyous ending, therefore, would mean a closing, a conclusion or breaking-off that is characterised by joy, gladness, elation, jubilation, etc.
In Gen. 12: 1-4, God asked Abraham to leave his nation, his clan and his father’s house and proceed to a land that He would show him. God promised that He would bless him; turn him into a nation, make him a blessing, make his name great, bless those that bless him; and curse those that curse him; and that through him, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
At this point, Abraham was 75 years old and his wife Sarah was 65 years; they were childless. They, however, believed God, they left their comfort zone, travelled through the desert to a strange land and lived among hostile people groups. In the next 25 years, they experienced several challenges. Some of these are drought; famine; separation from their only kinsman (Lot); captivity of Lot’s family and their rescue; threat to their life; the snatch of Sarah by a superpower; doubt and unbelief that led to having a child with their maidservant; etc.
In the end, while Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah 90 years old; their story had a joyous ending. Isaac – their ‘laughter’ was born to the two of them (Gen. 21: 1-6). Their joy came.
Equally, in Job 1: 8-22; 2: 3-13, the bible tells us few of the afflictions that Job went through: losing his 7 sons and 3 daughters; all his livestock and almost all his servants. His wife and 3 friends also became judgemental of him. His health was also severely affected. He was in terrible pains and going through a terrible time.
From that hopeless state, God later blessed Job with joyous endings. His health was restored; his wife gave birth to yet other 7 sons and 3 daughters; his daughters were exceptionally beautiful; he was blessed with double of the livestock he had before; the critical attitude of his 3 friends changed to become good. God also gave him a long life to enjoy his joyous endings (Job 42: 12-17).
The year 2020 has come with unprecedented challenges globally. Things that no one or no government have imagined have happened in the course of the year. It is possible that some of us have also been impacted negatively in one way or the other in the course of the year, because of this global issue. The promise of God for us however is that we shall experience joyous endings in this twelve month of the year. The difficulties, disappointments, afflictions, persecutions, lack, delays, health issues, etc we might have faced shall all culminate in joyous endings as we prepare to enter the year 2021 in Jesus name.