“Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.” (Revelation 3:2 NIV)
You have probably been on both the giving and receiving end of these words, “Get back in there!” Let’s reflect on times when you were on the receiving end this morning. You were told to clean your room. Hastily, in a hurry to get on with your agenda, you made up your bed, hid some things from view of any potential parental inspecting eyes, and you perhaps thought you were finished. You were just about to go outside or turn on the TV and you heard a voice thundering as if it belong were mimicking a major tempest on the sea, “Get back in there.” This utterance was usually followed by an untimely walk-around in your room, a small room, but by the time your “inspector,” the parent or person of authority in your house got through walking you around your room with piercing eyes that left no stone unturned, patrolling, and pointing out unfinished work as it related to cleaning your room as if perfection was the goal, you were made aware of the fact that there was more to do. Exhausting! When the inspection was finally over, it seemed like you had covered enough ground to have walked a distance equivalent to a minimarathon. Of course, In your mind you were just exaggerating, but you were eager to get on with your planned activity. At times you spent an unbelievable additional hour or even more on the unfinished work. Admittedly, the effort produced results that you were pleased with and you were the beneficiary of being unconsciously prompted or unsuspectingly taught to be more diligent in other areas of life as well. The “inspector” had an ultimate purpose.
This morning, there is no unconscious prompting involved in what I have to tell you. It’s a conscious prompting. It is the start of a new week. You have awakened to a new day. You were holy yesterday and hurried to worship and hung in there attentively worshipping the Lord, thanking Him for a new day, hearing a word on high, and rejoicing. You left the church after the benediction, ready to continue with your personal agenda. Well, let me switch to the giving end of the words above, “Get back in there!” You have some unfinished work! You have some Bible studying work to do! You have some praying work today; praying that is intended to strengthen you and intercessory prayers for the sake of other people! You have some witnessing work to do! You have some personal progressive sanctification work to do! You have some “just a closer walk” work to do! You have some “purpose” work to do! God has left you here for a purpose! You have some standing up for righteousness and justice work to do! You have some loving, forgiving, and reconciliation work to do! You have some discipling others work to do! You have some “making time to help somebody” work to do! You have some declaring work to do, letting the world know that whatever you are going through, the Lord will see you through! So hear these words, “Get back in there!” Then, start to tackle your unfinished work! Wow! I just figured out I’m on both the giving and the receiving end of this meditation too. Don’t let me hold you up! Let’s both get busy with our work! Need some motivation? Well, know that the Lord is not finished working on you, but He will continue to do so He is finished. Great example! Be blessed!
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 NASB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King