The Beginning and the End

Recently I was tidying up and discovered some important documents at the bottom of a large box – documents that I should have done something about 4 years ago! I had obviously put some other papers on top of them and completely forgotten they were there. Oh dear!

Do you ever discover jobs you should have done ages ago? Or start something but not quite finish it? Perhaps you get excited by new things, leaving half-completed tasks all over the place? On the other hand, maybe you are a completer-finisher, who gets everything properly finished before you start something else.

Jesus is a completer-finisher. In John 4:34 he said, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work’. In today’s verse he describes himself as ‘the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End’.

Fortunately for us, when Jesus starts something, He always finishes it. He isn’t just the Beginning. He is also the End.

When He came to die, He stuck to His goal despite the horrors of crucifixion and separation from His Father. He endured the cross because He loves us and He finished the task. In John 19:30 Jesus said, ‘It is finished. With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit’.

And there is yet more to come. Jesus will certainly come back and bring everything to a final completion. He hasn’t got distracted by another task. He hasn’t got bored halfway through. He is taking the time that is needed to finish the job perfectly.

So don’t be discouraged - He will finish what He is doing in your life too. ‘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). Sometimes it is hard to persevere, when the end is not in sight. But ‘Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything’ (James 1:4).

Let’s ask God to make us a bit more like Jesus. People who can persevere and complete things, whether that is small things like jobs at home and work, or bigger things like persevering in our fight against sin or holding on to faith when it all seems too difficult. Jesus is in you, so He can give you the ability to persevere and to finish well. You only need to ask (and keep on asking).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me so much. Thank You for coming to rescue me and for finishing everything You start. I’m sorry for the times I have wanted to give up. Thank You that You never give up on me. Please would You help me today to persevere, whether it’s in small things or big things. Thank You. Amen.