This day has began with prayer and some time to eat a breakfast of grapes and nuts. Now it is time for that first cup of Door County Mocha Mint Coffee and some thoughts to share.
I have been working on refinishing this antique table for our dining room since May and each edge has been a challenge. Rene has been quiet and very supportive of my labor. She chases me into the house, to the shower and then to bed for rest after I spend a couple hours on the table. She ignores my grumbling when I walk past the table and wonder if it will ever be finished. The work is not going too fast. But the pace has afforded a beautiful finish on two of the four edges.
My short point is this. I have committed to finishing this thing and it has been a stubborn opponent. But it will get finished and it will be a piece of furniture that we will enjoy. I am stubborn too.
This table made me think of God and how we very often will resist His work of shaping and molding us into what is best for us and His Kingdom. We are like my stubborn table and we resist the "refinishing or refining". But God is also stubborn and a hard worker. He will keep working on us and with us and He doesn't quit. He works at a steady pace and never goes too fast, because it's the finished product that counts.
Philippians 1 New International Version (NIV)
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 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
Are you a table in the rough? Are you allowing God to add a coat of shine to you? He won't quit on you until you are perfect.
God bless,
Marty
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