HomeWord - January 30, 2015

 God's Work Isn't Finished

This devotional was written by Elizabeth Cole

I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. —Philippians 1:6

What a washout. He’s forty years old. Adopted at an early age into great wealth, he rebels and rejects his adoptive family, murders a man, escapes with just his life and is on the lam for years. The day before God came to him in a burning bush, you would’ve looked at Moses and considered his life all but over. Any dreams he’d had in his younger years were long buried in the sands of Egypt. Grandiose plans for a full and rich career had certainly died right alongside the murdered slave driver. But then God called his name:  “Moses, Moses.”

Re-acquaint yourself with Moses’ beginnings in the first several chapters of Exodus. God wasn’t remotely finished with this man who “can’t talk so well.” Take a look at Hebrews 11:24-29 to get a sense of God’s evaluation of the man, when all was said and done.

How often do we forget that our God -- the God whom we call all-knowing and all-present -- is far above our concept of time? While you and I see each other (and ourselves) only as we currently are, the Lord God sees us as we will be. He knows the ending of our story and what we’ll look like in all our divine, heavenly perfection. In the middle of today’s failure…He knows what I will be. Still dealing with the consequences of past sin…He knows who I’m becoming.

This God who lovingly chose you before time began, who knew right where you’d be this day, has a purpose for you both today and tomorrow. God’s work isn’t finished! His intention is single-minded, His power unending, His commitment beyond measure. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

GOING DEEPER:

1. What encouragement do you find in the story of Moses?  How does it apply to your life today?

2. What steps can you take in this season of your life to be ready for when God calls you to the next?

FURTHER READING:

Exodus 1-4

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