He Ain’t Done with You Yet

Well now, jumpin’ Jehoshaphat, friend! What a great day it is to have you stoppin’ in here! So, come right on up here to this ol’ front porch and park yourself for a lil’ ol’ spell before that lil’ ol’ mockingbird over yonder sittin’ on the fence starts actin’ like he’s plum leading Sunday mornin’ special music. If your soul feels a lil’ bit unfinished, a lil’ bit patched together, and a lil’ bit lopsided like an ol’ mule barn built in a windstorm, you’re in mighty good company. Most of us are still sho’-nuff’ under construction, creakin’ and groanin’ like an ol’ screen door in July, but thank the Lord, God doesn’t throw away what He’s still shapin’.

Philippians 1:6 tells us to “be confident that the One who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion.” That plum means your growth just ain’t some homemade quilt you’re stitchin’ alone by lantern light. God downright started this work, and He’s sho’-nuff’ committed to finishing it. Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.” That’s a mighty comfortin’ truth when you feel more like an ol’ crooked tomato stake than a mighty oak tree.

And here’s another sweet word for the journey. Isaiah 64:8 says, “We are the clay, and thou our potter.” Clay don’t shape itself. It simply stays in the potter’s hands. Some days you may feel like the Lord is pressin’, smoothin’, and turnin’ your life in ways you don’t understand. But He ain’t being careless. He’s being downright faithful.

So, when you git to seein’ unfinished places in yourself, don’t you lose heart. You’re not who you used to be, and you’re not yet all that God intends for you to become either. The same Lord that saved you is still sandin’ down your rough edges, strengthenin’ your weak places, and makin’ something mighty beautiful out of what looks to you like an ol’ pile of spare parts.

Father, thank You for not giving up on me. When I feel unfinished, remind me that I am still in Your hands. Keep shaping my heart, growing my faith, and completing the good work You began in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Geez Louise, friend, ain’t this been an excitin’ talk today? Now, you can go right on back into your day like a lil’ ol’ calf done turned loose in fresh green pasture, trustin’ the ol’ Farmer that knows exactly what He’s doin’. Don’t fret over every unfinished corner of your life. An ol’ beaver don’t build the whole lodge in one splash, and an lil’ acorn don’t become a big ol’ oak tree by suppertime. So, lift up your chin, steady up your heart, and remember this mighty sweet truth. God is still workin’, He’s still shapin’, and He ain’t never once misplaced not even one lil’ ol’ piece of His handiwork.