Never The Slightest Doubt

Scripture: Philippians 1 There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. (Philippians 1:6 MSG) This short letter from Paul, written from a prison cell, to the Christ-followers in Philippi, themselves suffering persecution, is probably the most positive, joyful book in the Bible!

Chapter One is full of expressions of praise and gratitude to God, of expectation that good will come out of the bad things that are happening, and of confidence in God’s guiding hand on the future. Paul might have had every reason to be concerned about how the Philippian believers would cope with persecution and whether they would remain faithful and true to Christ. But in spite of everything, Paul had no doubts about the outcome. Paul was confident that their faith was God-initiated and that it would be God-sustained. My emotions and my attitude are so often and so easily swayed by circumstances and by how I feel I’m doing as a Christ-follower. If it’s up to me to complete the work of grace in my life, then I suppose there is reason for concern. What if you and I, like Paul, choose to fill our hearts with thankfulness to God for his faithfulness and love? And what if we choose to fill our mouths with expressions of praise and gratitude to God, with words that declare our expectation that good will come out of the bad things that are happening, and with expressions of confidence in God’s guiding hand on the future? Let’s take Paul’s confidence for our own and live today (and tomorrow) without the slightest doubt that“…the God who started this great work in US will keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” Prayer: Father, thank you for starting a great work of grace in my life. Thank you for your Word today telling me that what you start, you finish! I confidently rely on you today for my feelings, my attitude, and my expectations. In Jesus’ Name.