Today's encouragement comes from Philippians 1:6, where Paul wrote these words:
"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
We may not think that we are making much progress in our most holy Chris-tian faith. In fact, we may feel like we are actually moving backwards, and not forwards at all. But, in reality, all those who are in Christ advance ahead with Him. It is good for us to have no confidence at all in our flesh. Sometimes "failure" is the best way to learn this lesson.
But this is no reason not to have unbridled confidence in Christ. He is the only One who can propel us to a certain, and glorious end. What God has started in us, His church, He will certainly finish.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Prayer whips the devil. The arrow of prayer, put in-to the bow of the promise and shot with the hand of faith, pierces the old ser-pent.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Fight of Faith Crowned"]