Loved Under Construction
“He who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
A few years ago, the housing crisis shook the nation. Houses sold for ridiculous rates and loans were given to individuals that could not qualify for mortgages. It was an unsustainable market. Eventually, the market crashed, and individuals who owned houses that were valued at one price saw the values of their homes decrease by tens of thousands of dollars. Construction sites were in disarray, and several developments were left undone because the contractors and developers were unable to source the necessary funding to finish. Hundreds of houses stood unfinished because the builder filed bankruptcy and went out of business.
It was a sad sight, but what's even more disturbing is Christians who feel like they are in a crisis and that God has left them. They started on fire, or they gradually returned to him. Like you, they may decide to pick up a devotional to see where they are in relationship to God, and their expectation never matched reality. Frustrated because God has left them, so they thought, they walked away searching for fulfillment in things that will never satisfy. The question arises, if I’m so incomplete, how do I know God loves me?
The answer was written thousands of years ago. The church in Philippi had the same questions, “God, I’m messed up, can you fix me?” “I start, and I stop, but will I ever get to the place you want for me? The place where I know I should be?”
Paul not only assured the congregation of this fact, but he said he was “confident of this very thing.” He was assaulted and could sleep at night because of this one Promise. God finishes what He starts. God does not go bankrupt. He never runs out of capital. His credit rating never drops, and His workers never tire of finishing their construction projects. God doesn't work on houses, He is a master of fixing temples! Paul’s confidence was that God not only starts work in us, but He finishes the job.
When is it finished, you may ask? When Jesus comes! That means if you woke up this morning and didn’t see yourself in heaven; if you look out the window and don’t see a procession of angels and if you can’t hear the voice of the archangel or a trumpet sounding, then you can rest assured that He’s still working on you. God finishes what He starts. He is still working on you because He loves you.
“...for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13 NIV)
Thought Questions:
- In what ways do you sense God is working on you in this season of your life?
- How will keep your self reminded that God hasn’t left you and that He’s working in you?
