On the Upswing

Philippians 1:6 (KJV) Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

(Proverbs 27 also read)

This morning as I sat on the porch this verse came to mind. I was thinking about all the scripture I used to have memorized that has faded. It is tempting when you get into retirement to take a lot of naps and develop mind numbing rituals such as watching the tube. This reminded me that God is not through using me and my gifts. Will I change the world?  Not before the Day of Christ Jesus. Will anyone notice? Don’t count on it. Will I know and will God know? Definitely.

How many others things have I allowed to fade from my daily life? Music comes to mind. I used to be able to sit in the dark on the shores of Maui and play with great worship for a couple of hours, just from memory. Now? Maybe one or two songs. I am reaching back to retrieve that and there are many other areas I am searching.

So?  I intend to get back into stretching my personality and joy of life. The guiding rails will be worship and praise of God. The condiments will be family, friends and community. Let the good work continue.

A Forgotten Verse

Philippians 1:6 (KJV) Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

(Proverbs 14 also read)

I was sitting this morning thinking about the difference between the direction I thought my life was going to go 20 years ago and where it actually is.  We could go back much further than 20 years.  I always wanted to be used by God.  I thought I knew what that meant, but God seemed to have other ideas.

I remember a long time of wondering why things were going the way they did.  There were times of despairing, especially when I thought of my first born and how he had such a strong personality.  I joked about taking him back to the hospital and getting a refund.  It was only partially a joke.

Looking back now, I can see how the glory of God has worked in my life.  My children have turned out well.  My mind is still clear.  I can still afford my coffee in the morning and have a great view from my front porch.  God meets with me like clockwork and relates to me like the Great I Am.

In the midst of that, I am reminded by this promise that He will continue to work in me until the day of Christ Jesus.

So?  As they say, “What’s not to like?”  The journey continues and I imagine that when we get to stand in the presence of God, there will be another verse that takes this promise further down the road.