And I am convinced of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you
will continue until the day of Jesus Christ (right up to the time of His
return), developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full
completion in you.
~ Philippians 1:6 (amplified bible)
Do you ever worry about how you'll become more like Jesus? Do you hope and
plan, making lists and trying to be sure that you're doing the right thing?
Not to worry! God began His work in you the moment you accepted Christ as
your Savior and He is continuing the work right now. You can rest in the full
assurance that He will continue His work in you, and you will be conformed to
the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Your job is to trust Him and to submit to
Him each day, surrendering yourself into His loving, capable hands. We are
being molded and pruned by the Master of our lives, and He is bringing about
His will. Sometimes that's a painful process, but we need to remember that
healing comes through that, and when we finally reach the other side of our
pain, we'll find a peace and joy we never dreamed of.
God's work in our lives is a wonderful thing. He sees the entirety of our
life, and He knows everything there is to know about us - good and bad, and He
still loves us. We can let go of our worries and our fears, knowing that He
knows our deepest dreams and darkest secrets. He'll never leave us or forsake
us, and He's already given the ultimate gift to bring us into His presence.
Lord, thank You once again for showing us how much You love us - You love us
as we are right now, but You also love us too much to leave us that way. Help
each of us to surrender our life to You wholeheartedly, and to trust Your will
for us, no matter how painful it may seem at times. Growth does bring pain
sometimes, but the pain never lasts forever - Your word says weeping endures
for a night, but joy comes in the morning. For those of us who are in pain
right now, Lord, remind us of the joy You have for us and hold us in Your
loving arms. And for those of us who are experiencing joy right now,
strengthen our faith and prepare us for the nights of weeping that will surely
come into our lives. Be with all of us today as we seek to follow Your will.
Help us to be more like Your Son, Jesus, in everything we do.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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