“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.” Philippians 1:6 NLT
This has always been one of my favourite scriptures, and one that I stand upon many times, knowing that God is always there for me, and that He will continue to work on me until the day He calls me home.
Paul had great confidence in the church in Philippi that they would continue in the teachings he had given them when He was with them. In verse 10 of this chapter, Paul prayed that they would understand what really mattered so that they would live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. In those days, they were expecting the Lord to return at any moment. I wonder how they would have felt if they had known that thousands of years would pass before this would happen. But Paul wanted them to be filled with the fruit of their salvation – the righteous character produced in their lives by Jesus Christ. Then they would bring much praise and glory to God.
In verse 12, Paul said that his imprisonment had been beneficial, as he was able to be a witness to many. Believers had gained confidence to boldly spread the message without fear. What looked like something detrimental in his life had been turned around to produce good.
In verse 27, Paul says that whether he was able to come to them again, or if he only heard about them, “he would know that they were standing side by side, fighting together for the faith.”
One of the greatest joys of my life has been knowing that young people I taught in a Sunday School class, or in a youth group, are living for the Lord today, and serving him faithfully. Like Paul, we must pray for the people that we have had influence on through the years and have confidence that the Lord will continue to work on them until He comes.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for the work you are doing in our lives and in the lives of those you have allowed us to minister to. We have confidence that you will continue the work until you return.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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