Finishing well; that’s what everyone wants.  We want to finish high school and college well. We want to finish projects on our jobs well.  Well, meaning with excellence, not just getting something barely completed.  This is what I’ve been thinking about at the end of this year: how well are you (and I) ending the year?

Did we complete all the tasks we set out to do at the beginning of the year? Did you even make a list of things you wanted to do this year?  I did. Most people give some thought to “new resolutions” or “new commitments” at the beginning of each year, but some stopped because they saw they were not working at all to reach any of those goals.  To those who stopped and feel like a failure; begin again.  It’s that simple, just start over.  Make note of what derailed you and find the solution, and begin again. And again, and again, and again, if necessary.  Never give up, and never quit.  The point is, we should always have goals before us and plans of how to accomplish them.  We achieve our goals better when we write them down too, rather than just thinking about them.

Habakkuk 2:2 instructs us to write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that reads it.   In other words, write it down and make it clear what you want to do and how you plan to accomplish it.  Remember, even a small accomplishment is better than none at all.  Let’s look at some people in the Bible who finished well, even after setbacks.

Look at Abraham.  He made a few mistakes too.  He brought his nephew with him when he left his family to wander in a land where God was leading.   Abraham laughed when the Lord told him that he and Sarah would have a child in their old age.  He even tried to bring about God’s promise of a son on his own with Hagar, his wife’s handmaid, which then caused problems between her child Ishmael, and the promised son with Sarah, Isaac.  That problem of contention is still going on today in that area of the world.  But Abraham kept walking with God and finished well and is known as the Father of our Faith. (Romans 4:12) In Second Chronicles 20:7 and James 2:23 Abraham is called a friend of God.

Moses having the protection of God upon his life was hid three months by his parents and then by faith placed him in a basket and set him upon the river trusting God to keep him safe.  He was found by the Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in the comforts of Egypt, while his real parents were slaves.  (Exodus 2) When he was grown, he killed an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite; and had to flee for his own life from the Pharaoh.  Then while tending sheep Moses saw a burning bush that did not burn and when he approached it, God spoke to him, calling him to return to Egypt to bring His people out of bondage. (Exodus 3)  Moses tried to squirm out of his calling by making the excuse that he did not have eloquent speech.  (Exodus 4:10) But, he did return to Egypt and did what God instructed him to do and the Israelites were released from the power of Egypt.

After wondering in the desert, the people were thirsty.  In Exodus 17:1-6 we read where God instructs Moses to strike the rock for water, and water came out and the people drank.  However, the second time they were thirsty, Moses disobeyed God when he hit the rock to get water rather than speaking to it. (Numbers 20:1-12) Because of that mistake Moses was not allowed to enter the Promise Land with the people he brought out of Egypt, but even so, I would say Moses finished well by bringing the people out of Egypt.  Lesson to learn: there are consequences to our decisions, even if those consequences come later rather than sooner.

What about Jonah; he ran from God’s called to preach to Nineveh. After some alone-time in the belly of a large fish, he came to the realization that he should obey God. After God had the fish release in onto dry land, Jonah answered the second call of God to preach to the people of Nineveh and they repented of their sins.  (chapters 1-3 of Jonah)  A good finish, I’d say.

Looking in the New Testament we find that Thomas failed to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, saying he would not believe until he saw in Jesus’ hands the prints of the nails and put his finger into the print of the nails and into His side.  But he did believe after seeing Jesus, and Jesus encouraged him to not be faithless but believing.  (John 20:26-29)

Peter is another one that failed Jesus when he denied that he even knew Jesus.  But after repenting, Peter finished well too, completing the assignment Jesus had given him to be a fisher of men.  (Matthew 4:18-20)

I just want to add another note here that Mark 14:50 says that all the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. It wasn’t just Peter.

What about Saul of Tarsus; he thought he was doing the right thing when he went about killing the believers. He thought that of course until he actually had an encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus!  (Acts 9) In Acts 13:9 we see where Saul is now called Paul and filled with the Holy Ghost.

Both Peter and Paul wrote multiple books in the Bible.  So, this leads us to us.  What about us. Do we deny Jesus in our daily living, preferring to please men rather than God?  If, you have failed in any way in living for Christ; if, you have not completed, or even began to fulfill what He asked you to do, I have hope for you.  The answer is to repent, ask God to forgive you, and give you the strength and wisdom to do what He is asking you to do, and begin again.  More often than not, what He is asking is probably a little overwhelming, if not a lot, because His thoughts are bigger than ours, and that sometimes causes us to step into the sphere of procrastination.  I speak to myself as well.  We must realize that procrastination is not a reason for not obeying God.  Procrastination is an arm of fear; fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of…whatever.  Do not allow fear of any form to rule your life.

So, I say to you at the end of this year, finish well by getting back on track with what God has called you to do.  Make a new list for the coming 2020 year of the vision the Lord has place in your heart.  Begin again with new determination to succeed by obeying what God is calling to you do.  No matter what our beginning in life, we can finish successfully if we do not give up or grow weary.  Begin this new year 2020 with a heart of conviction to complete whatever God asks you to do.  Following His leading you will finish well.

Have a very Happy Healthy and Prosperous New Year!