Tag Archives: he who began a good work in you

September 2, 2026 · 5:32 AM

Leave The Starting Line

One of the mottos I try to live by is, “Go, set, ready.” Most of us have heard and used that phrase in the opposite order. What I’ve realized is that I can use ”ready” and “set” as excuses to keep me from going. I’ll tell myself, “It’s not ready yet. I need more time to get it ready.” I allow myself to use that excuse knowing it will never be “ready” enough. The other thing I do is feel like I have to “set” things in order before I can go. Again, all I’m doing is waiting for the right moment which never comes. Years will go by and I’m still standing on the starting line having never gone anywhere because I’ve kept myself busy getting ready and set. I’ve learned to go and get things in order after I start moving and to work on making them ready while in motion.

In Joshua 13, God told Joshua, “You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered” (NLT). God wasn’t calling him a failure, but was pointing out that the job of conquering all the land He had given Israel was unfinished. There was more to do. Then God said, “I myself will drive these people out of the land ahead of the Israelites. So be sure to give this land to Israel as a special possession, just as I have commanded you. Include all this territory as Israel’s possession when you divide this land among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.” God told Joshua to give it to the tribes before it was conquered. It was unfinished, inhabited and formidable. God was telling them if they would go, He would drive out the inhabitants for them, but they couldn’t stand still. The gift He was giving was greater than their capacity. They would never feel ready or set enough.

Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” There are some things that will remain unfinished and imperfect in your life. Don’t let that stop you from obeying. God is still working. In fact He began while we felt inadequate, but if we keep going, He will be faithful to complete what He began. The things He’s called you to may feel formidable, unfinished and unconquerable, but don’t let that keep you on the starting line. As you go to possess it, He will complete the work. He will drive out the inhabitants. Your job is to get off the starting line in faith. Quit making excuses. Go!

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

The “And” Of God

I had a writing instructor tell me that a well written story doesn’t need to have “The End” added when the story was over. The reader will know if the writer did their job well. However, I’ve been deep into a story that was engaging and well written where I thought it was the end, but it kept going. It turned out, the story was only halfway done. What I thought was the end, was really the launching point for the other half that I didn’t expect. It reminded me of what a pastor once told me. He said, “Never put a period where God puts a comma.” There are times when we think our story is over, or that God is through with us, but instead of “The End,” there’s a comma for the story to continue.

I noticed something interesting as I read Joshua 1:1. It says, “And after Moses, Yahweh’s servant, died, Yahweh spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ faithful assistant” (TPT). The book of Joshua starts with the word “and” in the original language. That’s an odd way to start a book, but not only Joshua, but Judges and Ruth start with “and” as well. Here Moses had died. The Law was given. They were still in the wilderness after 40 years. God began these books with the word “and” so that the reader would see that God is continuing the story even though it looks like things are over. He’s reminding them that He’s not done writing and that there’s more to come. He doesn’t leave them stranded in the wilderness or leaderless. He commissions Joshua and reminds them that He will never leave them nor forsake them (verse 5).

I believe that same is true for your story. I believe God has an “and” for you too. Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (NLT). It is God who is writing your story, and He will be faithful to keep writing it until He says it’s finished. Often what looks like an end is just a beginning of something new that God is creating in your story. When things feel hopeless, and you feel abandoned in the wilderness, look for the “and” that God is writing. We know that He works all things out for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Instead of giving into despair or panicking, ask God to show you His “and.”

Photo by Sharn Kang on Unsplash

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as all things work together, bible study on, bible verses on, Devotional, devotional on, dont stop, encouragement, God is still writing your story, God isn’t done with me yet, god's not finished, he who began a good work in you, hope, its not over, keep going, what does the bible say about

December 29, 2017 · 5:30 AM

God’s Not Finished

This week, I’m counting down my top posts for the year. This was my most popular post written in 2017.

There’s a viral video that’s been floating around Facebook for a while now. It’s of an artist on Ukraine’s Got Talent. She has a large canvas and begins to draw what appears to be one of the judges. As she continues to work on it, the judges become impatient. One by one, they give her the dreaded X. After all judges give her the X, she takes the canvas, turns it upside down, then throws a chalky substance on the canvas. When the dust clears, it’s a portrait of someone else.

I think we are all a bit like those judges at times when God is trying to do a work in our lives. We think we know what He’s up to, and we don’t agree with it. We think we know best and we X out of His plan. We are always trying to put together the pieces of what He’s doing, and we are judging it. The problem is that we truly have no clue what He’s doing because we have the wrong perspective, and He’s not finished yet. We’ve got to learn to have patience while God works in our lives.

We’ve become a part of the culture that tries to figure everything out before it’s done. We like things now rather than later. We don’t let things develop and mature like they’re supposed to. God wants us to be patient, especially when He’s working in our lives. Isaiah 30:18 says, “But GOD’s not finished. He’s waiting around to be gracious to you. He’s gathering strength to show mercy to you. GOD takes the time to do everything right—everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones” (MSG).

God’s message to us today is to be patient while He works. He’s taking His time, doing the things that are necessary. You may not understand it, or be able to see the full picture of what He’s doing right now. If you will wait for Him to complete what He’s started, you won’t be disappointed. Don’t be like those judges and miss out on the art that God is trying to create in your life. God’s not finished yet. The final product is worth the wait.

3 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as Christianity, Devotion, Devotional, don't give up, dont quit, encouragement, god's not finished, god’s still working on me, god’s still working on you, he who began a good work in you, judges buzz before artist finishes, spiritual growth, trusting God, Ukraine’s got talent, wait for god’s work to complete