"Unfinished Business"
Feb. 4, 2019
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. ~ Psalm 138:8a (ESV)
Christians are a work in progress, specifically, a work created, maintained, supervised, and completed by the hand of the Lord. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10 that our life is the workmanship of God, workmanship created in Christ for good works already prepared beforehand so that we might walk in them. Wouldn't it be nice to know specifically which good works the Lord has already laid out for you? With such foreknowledge you could then proceed accordingly to map out your best course of action. Everything would fall neatly into place. Your whole future would be secure, predictable, and comfortable. That may sound appealing for any Christian who ranks security as a top priority, but such a life would be exceedingly boring, not to mention there's no need for faith in the promises of God to sustain you. God knows your future and all the good things He wants you to do in His kingdom. Such knowledge is the "unfinished business" of our life, but it will be revealed piecemeal, day by day, hour by hour, even minute to minute, as we walk in faith trusting the Lord.
Now David cries out in this psalm for God's deliverance from all his enemies. David knows that his victory in the battle comes from the grace of God alone—grace that turns the tide of battle in his favor. Why such preferential treatment for King David? Because the Lord will not leave the house of David alone until God has finished His messianic "business" through him. David says in Psalm 138:7, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand delivers me."
Hooray for King David, but what about you? What is the unfinished business of your life?
Now the invisible powers of this world far exceed the visible threats we see. Jesus warned, "Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). God stands in judgment over the whole human race—judgment measured by the cross of Christ. The eyes of faith see this reality. In that history of the world your Christian life meanders from birth to death. Against your life are arrayed the forces of hell to divert you from your God-given purpose in Christ; they seek to destroy the life of good works foreordained for you in Christ. The mission of the devil is to tempt you incessantly, seducing you to waste your life so that on the Day of Judgment all the good you could have done in Christ is found negligent and lacking. Against this ugly outcome stands the promise of God through the mouth of David: "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me!" So, believe it! Trust the word that the fog of temptation will evaporate; the despair of life wasted by sin will dry up. Clarity will be restored, and strength of character renewed until the unfinished business of your life is finished to the glory of God in Christ Jesus!
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I am trusting You alone to finish the unfinished business of my life in Christ and fulfill Your purpose for me. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Mark Schreiber. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Christians are a work in progress, specifically, a work created, maintained, supervised, and completed by the hand of the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment