Until It’s Finished

Until It’s Finished

Matthew 6:9-13    Philippians 1:6     Hebrews 12:1-2

Before we were even born, God had a plan to rescue us from sin and death through the sacrifice of Jesus. 2000 years ago, Jesus walked out of His own tomb leaving death in the grave as proof that He was who He said He was and He did what He said He was going to do: open up the door for us to leave our past behind and step into a new future with our Heavenly Father. This is why the Gospel has always been and will always be good news. Not because of what we do, but because of what God has done.

As followers of Jesus, our right response is to submit every part of who we are to God, our redeemer.

Pray…

God, thank you for never giving up on me. Every time I fall short and mess up, you offer me grace. That is just one of the many reasons why I want to give everything to you. My whole life is yours. I want to live submitted to you and your plans for my life because I know they are so much better than anything I can come up with. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Read…

    And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 NLT

    Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT

Consider…

In both of these portions of Scripture, we are invited to see that every step of the way, God is actively working in our lives to bring us to Him and make us more like Jesus.

The first verse shows us that God is the one who starts that work and finishes it. That does not mean we don’t have a part to play. Of course we do. God isn’t going to force any of this on us. He gives us the freedom to choose. We can reject His invitation or accept it. When we do accept that invitation, we can do it gladly knowing that He is going to carry us across the finish line.

The second passage tells us that Jesus is the one who initiates and perfects our faith. He’s the one who starts it and He’s the one who is going to complete it. This should bring us so much confidence because it means we are not in this thing alone. Jesus is with us. He will bring us the direction and guidance we need to live faithfully as His followers. We just have to be willing to submit to His authority in our lives.

How willing are you to follow Jesus’ direction for your life? Are there places where it’s easier for you to submit to Him? Where is it more challenging? Why do you think that is? How can the scriptures we read above help you trust Him more?

Practice…

Pray to God by submitting to Him. Ask Him to give you the humility to follow well. Seek His direction. Ask Him to help you receive His instructions gladly and to guard you from temptations and attacks.

As you do, imagine you are talking to God face-to-face. Because, at its most basic level, that’s really what prayer is: talking to God.

When you’re ready, pray to your Father using Jesus’ words, “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy… don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9,13 NLT

Listen…

Create space to experience God’s presence by getting quiet, getting alone, and asking Him to speak. Start by setting a timer for five minutes.

Next, ask God to speak to you.

When you get distracted, because you will get distracted, bring your focus back to God by repeating the first words of this prayer: “Our Father…”

When the timer ends, thank God for the time you got to spend with Him, then head into your day looking for opportunities to better serve Him and serve others.