We live in a very ADD society right now. We become distracted so easily at times with information overload, mass advertisement campaigns, busyness with no purpose, and many other distractions. It is no accident that God's Word says the following in Psalm 46: 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” We sometimes take this verse and make it where we are to get quiet and know that He is God. That is a good thing to do also, but this verse also follows some very important truths about God's power and provision in times of immediate need. Here are the verses that precede the "be still" verse. 1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. 2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. 3 Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
Our God is the beginning of everything, as it says in Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Our God has no equal. Isaiah 40: 12 Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
14 Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? Our God is eternal. Psalms 90:2 Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
To be a good finisher you have to first begin and God is the beginning and the end, so our beginnings should line up with His beginnings, but our finishes need to line up with how He finishes things. In John 13 Jesus has turned His head toward the cross that looms before Him and in the midst of the Passover Meal Jesus calls out the one who will betray Him and it is Judas. The scripture is as follows: 18 “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’ 19 I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I am the Messiah. 20 I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.” 21 Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” 22 The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean. 23 The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?” 25 So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. 27 When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” 28 None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. 29 Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. 30 So Judas left at once, going out into the night.
This betrayal needed to happen to finish what God had begun and Judas was the one link in the story to make it go to completion and Jesus knew it. The disciples were given a lesson in being a servant in the prior verses in John 13 and this next part was going to be tough for everyone, especially Jesus. This verse says it all. 21 Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” Jesus did not change the course of what "must" happen and His commitment to dying for our sins was going to be finished without Him stopping it. Jesus had the power of God that could have stopped the whole process, but His commitment and love for you and me drove Him to finish the course. Jesus is a good finisher.
The example of servanthood Jesus illustrated by washing His disciples' (friends) feet was a good illustration of what extent He would go to redeem all the world. The disciples saw all of this and experienced the betrayal of Judas, which buried a life commitment in each of them to follow Jesus and finish the work. We are called, and we have the Word of God that shows us what to do, and the beginning of that commitment kicks in the moment we are born again. That is when this great adventure began, and now we are called to be good finishers as set in place by our Savior. Be a light in this dark world by holding fast to the commitment of finishing well and asking God to empower you with the purpose and passion to do it. Be A Good Finisher. Jesus was, and praise God, He was!!! Be Still and know that He is God and that the power to begin something is the same power we have to finish it.
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David Warren
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