Beyond Perfection: The Significance of Finishing What God Gives Us
Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded him.
Exodus 40:16 CSB
Wouldn't it be an incredible affirmation to hear God say about you, She did everything just as I commanded? Exodus 40 highlights this very commendation for Moses' diligent work in setting up the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place among His people in the wilderness.
Exodus 40:33 offers a simple yet profound statement: So Moses finished his work. This image of Moses, committed to following God's detailed plan to its conclusion, is a powerful encouragement.
We might mistakenly believe this implies Moses lived a life free from error. Yet, the narrative of Exodus and Deuteronomy reveals his human struggles, including the act of disobedience that ultimately kept him from entering the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 32:48-52; 34:4). He was fallible, just like us. Yet, in the task of the Tabernacle, he saw it through to completion according to God's instructions.
How often, after pouring our hearts into something we believe God has called us to, do we immediately see all the ways we could have done it better? I know this feeling well. I see my shortcomings as a mother, grandmother, wife, leader, mentor, neighbor, and dog mom!
But the liberating truth is this: God doesn't require perfection from us. That was a standard fulfilled only by Jesus. For Moses, for the heroes of our faith, and for us today, the essence lies in faithfully completing the work He gives us, even with our inevitable imperfections.
My deepest desire is to run this race of faith with perseverance, still following Jesus and serving Him wholeheartedly until the very end. Paul's declaration in 2 Timothy 4:7 resonates with that same desire.
Lord, my heart is set on being obedient to the tasks You have laid before me. I long for the day I hear Your gracious "Well done" as I enter Your eternal presence. Please grant me the strength to keep running this race faithfully and obediently until that glorious homecoming.
Chris Adams
