“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” – Romans 8:18
The General Certificate of Education results had just been released. Out of 41,253 students who sat for the Advance Level, only 28,231 had passed. Full results would be announced the next morning at 8 AM, the news anchor said that August evening in 1983.
It was a long and restless night. When morning came, I had no appetite for breakfast. At 8 o’clock we gathered around the radio as names of successful candidates were read. My center was called, then “Pass in five papers… four papers… three papers… two papers.” My name never came up.
I thought I was strong enough to handle disappointments, but this shock was too great. No Toyota Revo, no matter how good its shock absorbers, could have carried this burden. Depression took hold of me for a long time. Then my father came to me with words that would remain etched in my heart: “Son, he who laughs last, laughs best.”
My Father’s Faith
I am grateful for parents who taught us of God’s mercy through their testimonies. My father once told me how, as a young boy, they had only boiled coco-yams with nothing to eat alongside. He asked his father if he could go fishing at the nearby stream. His father advised him to catch a grasshopper for bait. Strangely, as he left, a grasshopper landed directly on his chest. He used it, cast his line, and soon the rod bent under a heavy pull. Too heavy for him alone, he rolled a stone onto the rod and ran for his father. Together they pulled up a huge fish—far larger than anyone expected from that small stream. God had provided.
My father passed on to be with the Lord in 2014. I may not have become the engineer he wished me to be. I may not have passed all the exams he worked so hard to fund. But one day I will see him again and say, “Dad, I made it. I passed the final exam.”
Lessons Through Failure
Though I later obtained my Advance Level and even traveled abroad to study Mechanical Engineering, I never completed the degree. Returning home broke and disappointed, I despaired of hope. Yet my mother, with unshakable love, continued to believe and sacrifice for me.
I learned this truth: You have not failed until you miss Christ. Not church attendance, not Christmas celebrations, but Christ Himself dwelling in your heart. There will be a final examination—not from a school board but from the Lord who will judge the living and the dead.
Jesus told of a rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31). The rich man lived in luxury while Lazarus lay at his gate, covered in sores. When they both died, Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s side, while the rich man found himself in torment. Even seeing Lazarus in glory could not change his fate.
Heaven and hell are real. Death seals our destiny. Wealth, status, or poverty will not determine where we go—only our relationship with Christ will.
The Vanity of Earthly Pride
Some think heaven is in Britain, America, or Canada, but true heaven is with Christ. Friendships, possessions, even reputations may fade with time, but eternal life is only in Jesus. As Paul declared: “As for me, I will boast only about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The rich man’s neglect of Lazarus warns us not to let pride, wealth, or the cares of this life choke out God’s word. Yet Cornelius, a Roman centurion, shows us another way: though rich and powerful, he was God-fearing, gave generously, and prayed continually. Still, he was not saved until God sent Peter to preach the gospel to him.
Zacchaeus, another rich man, also received salvation when he welcomed Jesus into his home and repented, promising restitution to the poor (Luke 19:8–9). Riches are not evil in themselves, but if they blind us to Christ and to the needs of others, they lead to destruction.
Suffering and the Last Laugh
Christians often wonder why the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer. The prophets struggled with this too. Elijah faced Jezebel’s threats, Job endured deep personal loss, and Paul listed countless persecutions he bore for the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:24–26). Yet in the end, each of them had the last laugh—victory in God’s presence.
Job’s friends mocked him, but God vindicated him. Paul declared triumphantly, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) Jesus Himself endured the cross, despising its shame, but now sits at the right hand of God.
God permits trials not to destroy us but to refine us like gold. We are promised: “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
The Final Exam
The final exam is coming, when all nations will stand before the Lord (Matthew 25:32). Many may laugh now, mock the gospel, or scorn those who carry their cross. But the one who laughs last, in the joy of God’s presence, laughs best.
Friend, do not miss Christ. This world and its pleasures are passing away. The only laughter worth keeping is the laughter of victory in eternal life.
“For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:19)
He who laughs last, laughs best.
