Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

FINISH WELL

January 8, 2010

Have you ever heard it said, "I want to finish well?" Meaning how we end something may be every bit as important as how we start, or how we persevere in the middle. Finish well--refers to sporting competition, to a professional career, even to life itself.

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"The Lord, the God of Israel says, 'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand....I will do this because they have forsaken me...'"
- 1 Kings 11:31-33 TNIV
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Solomon did not finish well. He started greatly, but in the end fell apart. The very things that served him well in youth, and through his growing kingdom, he compromised, and his kingdom began crumbling. It was more than not finishing well, but he took his eyes off his center--his relationship with God. It's that matter of focus again, of worship. And it was unnecessary.

God's grace showers over us all: beginning, middle and end. Our loving God wants us through it all to do it well. Solomon's story need not have ended poorly. He could have finished well. So can we.
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson