Yes, when God decides to work on you, He will always be there until it is completed.
Recently, I was standing on my house’s balcony looking at my “southern magnolia tree,” which I planted twenty years ago. When we retired and moved back to Puerto Rico, we bought a tiny “Southern Magnolia” tree and planted it close to the house. I realized from the beginning that much of the planting guide was incomplete. Factors such as the soil quality, topography, and excessive rainfall—especially when planting in the tropics—meant that not all the necessary conditions for the tree’s growth could be fulfilled. One thing was clear: we were willing to do our very best in providing all the needed elements to make it grow and bloom. For the past 16 years, a beautiful, large white flower has appeared. It has been a long and challenging process, but our commitment will remain until the end. Every year, we fully enjoy what we see. Do not get distracted by the size; instead, reflect on the process!
I am a firm believer that at the moment we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, He begins His work in us. God completes and perfects His work in us through a continuous lifelong process. This is what the apostle Paul referred to when he said in his letter to the Philippians: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 (NIV). This means that from this moment until the end of our lives, no matter the circumstances we may encounter on our journey through this process called life, He will keep us in the faith and never let go of us.
Our Lord has designed a unique process for each of us to help us grow as we continue to follow and emulate our Savior, Jesus Christ… Some of the situations we will have to go through will not be easy; precisely in those moments, we have to place our full trust in the Lord. Be firm, don’t give up, for He will be there through the entire process.
Do not foster negative thoughts nor exhibit negative behavior; instead, be confident, presenting all your fears, weaknesses, and needs to our Lord. He loves us all, and that is why He sent His son Jesus to die to take away our sin and bring us closer to His presence.
When life hits us hard, especially during adversity or when we have more questions than answers, let us remember that God takes care of His children. He will always provide, no matter what we face when things become difficult on this side of Heaven. GOD CAN AND WILL HANDLE IT!!!
Jose J. Acevedo – Executive Board Member
