A Beautiful Work

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. (Philippians 1:6 ESV). This passage of Scripture I am using for our reading today comes from the beginning of a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Philippi. He had been in need of some basic things, food, water, clothing, and money to continue in his captivity. The church, though not wealthy, took up the challenge to provide for him during his time of need. He writes to acknowledge his gratitude for their generosity and compassion. At the beginning of the letter he makes this sweeping statement of hope for them that also applies to us. It is a word of encouragement to take all believers through their journey with an unshakeable belief that God will complete His work in us. As believers we are all a work in progress. I like to think of myself as a craftsman in the area of woodworking. I do use that word loosely. The truth is I am more of a jack-of-all-trades and master of none kind of guy. However, I do love to build things, large and small. Sometimes people will ask me to build something for them. This is a great source of joy for me. The first step for me is to get the materials together. Then I start to work. When my sons and I have been working on such projects together I usually am asked where the plans are? I am always forced to smile. You see, in my mind's eye, I already know what it will look like and how to get there. The plan is already drawn in my mind. The crazy thing is that when I am finished with the project everyone is very happy with the finished project. The same is true much more so as God is working on the project of our lives, we see it begin to take shape and sometimes wonder if the “builder” really knows what he’s doing! But in God's mind, the project is done. It is already finished. And, it will be perfect in every way. That is how God looks at you and me. Although it is still a work in progress for us, God knows exactly what He is doing. There is an expected end, and it is good. No wonder Paul can say, I am sure of this. He knows the craftsman and has complete trust in his work. He has seen it before and he is seeing it in their lives as it begins to take form. When we read the Scripture we are able to see how God completes his work. It is always a work of art! Nothing should shake our confidence in that truth. He will complete this good work in your life. Keep following him!