True You By Michelle DeRushaSample

Day Seven: God’s Promises

Scripture: Ezekiel 36:26, Matthew 28:20

 

After I returned from my trip to Italy, I worried that what God had begun in me under the Tuscan sun would not continue in my every day, ordinary life in Nebraska. More importantly, I wasn’t convinced God would continue to fan that spark into an enduring flame.

Less than three weeks after I returned to Nebraska, I was back on a plane, this time flying with my family to New England to celebrate my parents’ fiftieth anniversary. I’d brought my Bible and read these familiar words from Philippians: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Phil. 1:6 NLT).

In the past, I’d always understood these words as a promise related to my vocation as a writer. I interpreted the verse to mean that since God had given me the gift of and the passion for writing, he would nurture that gift and ensure a fruitful harvest (i.e., successful books). To me this was a verse about outcomes. I see now, though, that this is a myopic understanding of Paul’s words. The truth is, God’s plans and his vision are always far bigger than we can possibly imagine. Now, as I read Paul’s words, I understood this “good work” was much more than my next book or my success as a writer. Paul reminded me that God is in the business of transformation and relationship.

God himself extends the invitation into both wilderness and intimacy. God himself ignites the spark in our hearts and keeps the flame burning. And God himself, who begins the good work in us, will continue his work from now until the end of our time on earth. We needn’t clutch tight-fisted in fear, anxious that what has been started will evaporate. 

God does indeed have so much more for us than we could ever possibly imagine, and what he has for us is not always what we think it will be or even what we think we want. Our vision is limited. We tend to hold on to the wrong things—wealth, ambition, acclaim, outcomes. But God? He’s holding on to only one thing. God is holding tightly to you and me, and no matter what, he won’t let go. The “so much more” God promises us isn’t related to achievement, success, health, or wealth. It is much better and much bigger than all that. The “so much more” is more of God himself—the deepest desire we didn’t even know we had.

What have you wanted or expected from God that is not, in fact, something he has promised you?