7/23/14: The Finisher

#HeartForTheWord

When I’m teaching my English students about crafting conclusions to their compositions, I tell them a poignant statement I once read: Any writer can stop writing; great writers finish. Then I turn their attention to A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens as the quintessential example. That book doesn’t only start with the amazing opening line “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…,” but it also concludes with a marvelous closing line: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the original great Finisher. In his greeting to the believers in the church at Philippi, Paul tells those folks that he is “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6 (NKJ). The Greek word for “complete” in this verse is “epiteleo (ep-ee-tel-eh’-o)” which means “to fulfill further, execute, terminate, and accomplish.” Paul was encouraging those believers and is encouraging us today to hang in there because God intends to finish in their lives that which He has started.

When we get to a place where it seems God is no longer using us, or we have somehow blown our effectiveness in the Kingdom, we must hearken back to a time when we were on fire in our zeal. We were certain of what God wanted us to do. God doesn’t change so neither has His call on our lives. Jesus is able to bring to fruition that which He began in us.

Keep working. Second Chronicles 15:7 says, “Be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” God’s great first line in our lives was affecting our salvation through His Son; Jesus now has no intention of stopping His writing of our story until He drafts our amazing closing line. Worship God today for being the great Finisher.

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©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

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