Philippians 1:6
I am convinced of this very thing: that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Applying God’s Word for today: God is faithful, completing the good work from beginning to end.
We struggle in adversity. At times, we question our purpose: Why are we here? Why are we doing what we are doing? What does any of this matter? The person without faith relies on themselves, failing to see the One who provides their daily needs. They believe everything must be done by their own hands. We can all become self-reliant, falling into the sin of idolizing ourselves.
Yet our provisions are not our doing; our vocations come from our God-given talents to sustain our families and ourselves. Even faith is not something we do but rather the Holy Spirit instills it in us; this is why Paul wrote: “He who began a good work in you.” Faith receives God’s gifts: peace, joy, hope, salvation, and the forgiveness of sins.
God works in your life to sustain your faith because we can reject Him and His love for us at any moment. However, God’s promise is to be with us in every adversity and challenge. God continues to preserve our faith by feeding our souls through His Word and the sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper); He sustains our faith until the day of completion, when we meet Christ face-to-face; He is our Judge and Savior.
Why are we here? Because God desires all people to know and trust Him, but it is not forced; He continues to lead us to His gospel: He sent His Son to die for us on the cross, to rise from the dead, and sent His Holy Spirit to create faith in us through the means of grace. Why? Because of His love and His desire for us to be with Him when our lives come to an end. He wants you to know you are forgiven. Through the fruits of our faith, we share His Gospel message with others so they, too, will trust in Him. What does this matter? Because you are God’s own child and He is faithful to you; He will sustain and keep you until the day we are taken home to be with Him in heaven. God is faithful; He will complete the good work he began.
Dear Heavenly Father, when this world turns rough for us, let us hold on to the promise that you will carry our faith to the end. Let us lay our sins at Jesus’ cross and receive your forgiveness. Let us know the love you have for us. Keep us in faith—the good work you began in us—until the end. Give us opportunities to share this good news with others who do not know you. Amen.
Even when we lose sight of God’s love in our lives, He never loses sight of us. God will continue that good work He began in you, sustaining you with His means of grace.