In it for the Long Haul

SCRIPTURE: He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion ….
Philippians 1:6 NIV

THOUGHT: We are wired for relationship, and God’s ideas for human flourishing include family and community. But in our ever-changing world, even those relationships can change at lightning speed, leaving us desperate for a constant, never-changing source of deep relationship. A well that won’t ever run dry.

One of the best promises of Scripture is the promise of Jesus’ commitment to the long haul. When we say ‘yes,’ to him, he begins a work to which you might say he is married. He will never leave, forsake, or abandon those he loves, even though sometimes we might walk away. And his work in us is always stamped “good,” just like “and God saw that it was good.”

Maybe you could take a minute today to memorize this 14-word promise. Think of the relationships you’ve relied on through your life, and how often people have moved, died, grown up, changed toward you, gone off the rails, or otherwise become unavailable for deep relationship. That is not God. He promises not just presence, but goodness – all the days of our life.

SONG: He’s Always Been Faithful Sara Groves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iV9X9887dQ

PRAYER: You described yourself as “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6).” You gave yourself a name, and have lived into it ever since. Thank you God for your promise of presence and goodness all the days of my life. You are in it for the long haul, and by your grace, so am I.