Finished
"All the ends of the earth will remember and return to the Lord.
All the families from all the nations will worship you
because the kingdom belongs to the Lord
and he rules the nations.
All prosperous people on earth will eat and worship.
All those who go down to the dust will kneel in front of him,
even those who are barely alive.
There will be descendants who serve him,
a generation that will be told about the Lord.
They will tell people yet to be born about his righteousness—
that he has finished it." Psalm 22: 27-31
"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." -John 19:30
Holy God, truly you have finished it! Why am I so busy? why and I so overwhelmed? I cannot repeat the work you have accomplished. I cannot gain for myself anything that you have not already given me. It is finished! You have saved me. I can earn nothing for myself from my work, so working for my own gain must be silly and empty and utterly pointless. But that's what I do all day. That's why all of this time and energy has been spent. That's why I am spilling my blood out. It's all vanity. It's all futile. Working for my own benefit is like pouring water back into the sea for all my work flows to and from the vastness of what you have already accomplished for me.
So if not for me, for whom then shall I work? Should I sit and do nothing? Of course not! What kind of a response would that be to such a great gift!? Of course I should celebrate and my work should be a celebration. For whom should I work if not for you, God? Since I cannot earn anything for myself, I might as well serve you and I might as well serve others from the wealth of generosity I have received from you.What other response would be appropriate? So I will continue to work. I will continue to sweat and bleed, but no longer for my own benefit. The blood I pour from my veins will be for the sake of others. My work will be for the benefit of the people you love, the ones who cry out. I will shape my character and my ambition to be a reflection of what you alone have accomplished. All my work will be for you, God--my response to your love so generously lavished on me.
In the name of the one who was and is and is to come. Amen.
"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." -John 19:30
Holy God, truly you have finished it! Why am I so busy? why and I so overwhelmed? I cannot repeat the work you have accomplished. I cannot gain for myself anything that you have not already given me. It is finished! You have saved me. I can earn nothing for myself from my work, so working for my own gain must be silly and empty and utterly pointless. But that's what I do all day. That's why all of this time and energy has been spent. That's why I am spilling my blood out. It's all vanity. It's all futile. Working for my own benefit is like pouring water back into the sea for all my work flows to and from the vastness of what you have already accomplished for me.
So if not for me, for whom then shall I work? Should I sit and do nothing? Of course not! What kind of a response would that be to such a great gift!? Of course I should celebrate and my work should be a celebration. For whom should I work if not for you, God? Since I cannot earn anything for myself, I might as well serve you and I might as well serve others from the wealth of generosity I have received from you.What other response would be appropriate? So I will continue to work. I will continue to sweat and bleed, but no longer for my own benefit. The blood I pour from my veins will be for the sake of others. My work will be for the benefit of the people you love, the ones who cry out. I will shape my character and my ambition to be a reflection of what you alone have accomplished. All my work will be for you, God--my response to your love so generously lavished on me.
In the name of the one who was and is and is to come. Amen.
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