I Thessalonians 5:4-28
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. I Thessalonians 5:23-24 ( NKJV)
It was John Greenleaf Whittier who poetically wrote, "Of all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been'." Most people live with a nagging sense of unfinished business. There were missed opportunities, or times we couldn't quite get the job done. Maybe the deal just fell through. There were moments when we saw clearly the new possibilities, the fulfilment of a dream, the beginning of good things, only to later find out it didn't quit work out like we hoped.
History is littered with unfinished masterpieces. They were great endeavours that for some reason or another never got finished. It may have been the death of the artist such as Beethoven and his 10th Symphony. Or, as in the case of Benjamin West's Treaty of Paris, half the participants (the English) were too ashamed or angry to sit for the portrait.
Technically, DaVinci never finished The Last Supper.
The most famous to many of us is the portrait by Gilbert Stuart of George Washington that adorns many a classroom or public building
Even in our day, politicians speak of unfinished agendas, and leaders cast vision of “The Impossible Dream.”
You can feel that way, too. It seems that God could do such awesome things through your life, but then our flesh gets in the way, or the money runs out, or that needed partnership never formed up. On a personal level, we might deal with the one or two stronghold problems that never seem to let go. WE FEEL LIKE UNFINISHED MASTERPIECES.
But God says something very different about you. Paul said it in Philippians when he declared, "He who began a good work in you will complete it!" (Phil. 1:6) He explains further here in I Thessalonians. God has set about painting a fantastic portrait. It is OF YOU. He includes your whole spirit, soul (mind), and body. While earthly artists may die or simply give up, this Artist is eternal. He never quits. He will not relent. He always finishes that which He starts. He will bring this beautiful work to completion. "FAITHFUL is He who call you. He also will DO IT."
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