by Kevin Burton
This is the story of two songs, one title; two sources, one promise, namely, “the best.”
And, within the setting of popular music, it’s also a mini grammar lesson about comparative and superlative adjectives.
Chances are you have heard the one song, but not the other. The title of both songs is “The Best Is Yet To Come.”
“Ah!” you say, “Frank Sinatra. I know that one.”
Sinatra’s song came out in 1964. In 1980, Christian recording artist Cynthia Clawson also recorded a song with that title on her “You’re Welcome Here” album. It’s not a cover of Sinatra it’s a completely different song. And I do mean completely.
Sinatra sings of a budding romance. Partial lyric:
“A-Wait till the warm-up’s underway
Wait till our lips have met
And wait till you see that sunshine day
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet
The best is yet to come and babe, won’t it be fine? Best is yet to come, come the day you’re mine.”
In her song, Clawson is looking forward to either the return of Jesus Christ or her going to Heaven. A partial lyric:
“The best is yet to come. Never any day without the Son, shining all around us together, forever together, living in love. And I know it will be soon not the slightest doubt it will be soon, for in my heart I know the best is yet to come.”
“Best” is the superlative form of the word “good.” You know, “good, better, best.” In Genesis chapter one, God creates the heavens and earth and pronounces everything “good.”
From those earliest times God has never ceded his right to define what is good. But we as humans have our own definitions that too often drown out His.
The Sinatra song is notable for his halting delivery. When you dig past that there isn’t much to it. It’s not a raunchy song, corrupting youth or anything like that. It just has a shallow definition of what the “best’ is that one should be reaching for.
You also have to doubt the ability of the human promiser to deliver.
This really comes down to evaluating a promise in light of the promiser, considering the source.
Here are some thoughts from Charles Haddon Spurgeon that I found on the website thoughts-about-god.com.
“If you would like to put into practice the preciousness of God’s promises, and enjoy them personally, meditate on them. God’s promises are like grapes in a wine-press: If you tread on them the juice will flow,” Spurgeon wrote.
“Thinking over God’s holy words will often lead to their fulfillment in your own life. While you ponder them, the blessing you seek will often come to you in ways you don’t even expect. Many Christians who have thirsted for God’s promises have found the divine favor which they ensure gently brings comforting into their soul and causes great rejoicing in their hearts.”
“Besides meditating on God’s promises, seek to receive them as being the very words of God. Say to yourself, ‘If I were dealing with a mere human being’s promise, I would need to carefully weigh the ability and the character of the person who promised me. But with the promises of God, even though the greatness of the promise itself may stagger me, my eye must instead be fixated on the greatness of the Promiser. That will comfort me and give me confidence in His words,’” Spurgeon wrote.
“My friend, it is God Almighty who has made these promises. God, who cannot lie, who speaks His promises to you: That ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ (Deut. 31:6).
“His Word is as true as His own existence. God is unchangeable and He has not changed anything which has come out of His mouth, and never called back one single word. He lacks no power, for this is the God that made the heavens and the earth. And He can never lack wisdom, because He, in his infinite understanding, knows when it is best to give and when better to take away,” Spurgeon wrote.
“Therefore, seeing that it is the word of a God, true, unchangeable, powerful, and so incomparably wise, I will and must believe His promises. If we meditate on His promises, and consider the Promiser, we will experience their sweetness and fulfillment.”
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