PHILIPPIANS 1:6 – And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
THEME OF THE DAY. DIVINE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. Today’s scripture has proven over and over to be a major source of comfort for God’s people. When we go through deep waters of trials, long dark seasons of spiritual winter, and feel battered by the world, flesh, and devil, we run to this promise and faithfully cling to its truth. Yes, what God starts, God finishes. But what about during those painful times of our many failings of the Lord; our many sins against Him; and the too many times of neglecting Him, choosing the world over the Word? What about those times when it isn’t trials, but our spiritual indifference, even disobedience? Is this promise still a place to run to for comfort and help? Absolutely. It really is. Many Christians who have gotten too close to the world and sin, having been awakened to their backsliding, have found much comfort in this amazing promise and truth.
As these words of the Apostle Paul are worked out in our daily lives, what do we see in our God who is at work? Think about how God deals with us as He works out His plan for us. We receive patience, mercy, boundless love, and grace. All the time. Moment-by-moment our God displays much patience with His children. He disperses great mercy to us. He treats us with boundless love and grace. And He does so despite our many times failing Him; many times of presuming upon Him; many times neglecting Him; and yes, many times of sinning against Him. Why? Because He knows what He got when He saved us. He knows what He undertook when He adopted us into His family. He started a “divine construction” project using everything in our lives—even our failings, presumptions, neglects, and sins to make us like His Son, the Lord Jesus. What should such amazing grace and love do in our hearts and lives?
First, it produces a thankful people. As we meditate on God’s work in us, despite us, we cannot be anything but thankful. What an amazing God that would take every event, situation, circumstance, and relationship in our lives and use them for a single purpose – to conform us into the image of His Son. What wisdom! What power! Thanksgiving, loud and consistent thanksgiving, is the only proper response from the heart knowing this truth.
Next, we begin to see, understand, and embrace all of life in the reality of the Apostle Paul’s words to the Romans – And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:28-29). We see purpose in everything; a single purpose of God and we are delivered from the spirits of complaining and rebelling to the praise of His Glorious Person.
In closing this nugget, let’s do something. Go back to the scripture of the day and thank God for making us His “divine construction projects”. Then, thank Him that someday the work will be done, the project complete, and we will stand before Him on display for all eternity as “works of grace” for His glory and pleasure.
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PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for the truth that all things, yes, all things, work for my good and Your glory.”
QUOTE: “What God starts, God finishes, and that includes the work in us of making us like His Son, the Lord Jesus.”