-March 27, 2023-
Good morning, happy Monday,
“So Solomon built the temple and finished it.”
(1 Kings 6:14).
When God leads to do something for Him, we must finish it. No matter how long it takes, no matter how hard it is, we need to do it. Anyone can start well, but the Lord wants us to be finishers. The Major League Baseball season will soon be starting. It is a long season of 162 games. Modern teams use five starting pitchers and the number of complete games where the starting pitcher finishes the game is becoming more and more rare. In the NBA and NHL there are very few players who play in every single game of the season. Kevon Looney, the center for the Golden State Warriors not only played every game last year, but he has also done it this year and the season is nearly over. He is called “an Ironman.”
The work of the Lord is more important than any sport, project, task, or anything on this earth. Even God who created the heavens and the earth finished His creative work in six days; Jesus finished the work the Father gave Him to do in His thirty three years. His ministry consisted of three years. He said in John 17:4, “I have glorified You in the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” Before He died, He cried out, “It is finished.” (John 19:30). Our salvation was completed.
There are many great finishers in the Bible: Moses finished the Ark; Jacob finished blessing his sons; Joshua finished conquering and possessing the Promised Land; Nehemiah finished the walls of Jerusalem, Solomon finished the first temple and Zerubbabel finished the second temple, and Paul finished his ministry. He wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. There are many, many more in the Scriptures.
To finish what God gives us to do takes hard work, perseverance, and faith. Often there are struggles, difficulties, challenges, and opposition. The Lord will give us strength to complete what we start. The Christian life is often referred to as a race, not a sprint but a marathon. It is also a war that we fight against the devil and his demons. He wants us to give every ounce of devotion to His service. There is no room for quitting, giving up, or giving in.
The Lord will not take us home to glory before our work for Him on earth is done. The great thing about Christian service is that each one of us must do our part. It may seem like we have a small part, but it is vital in the church. Let us finish it in His strength and for His glory. We are responsible for doing the work, God is responsible for the results.
Have a blessed day in the service of the Lord. May we be good workers and good finishers. Stay safe and healthy.
Finishing the work God has given us to do,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 