AUTHORED AND FINISHED BY GOD

Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.  I have heard numerous sermons on this verse during my 54 years of sitting on a Pentecostal pew.  The sermons ranged from “Jesus started it, He’ll finish it,” to “There is one God and His name is Jesus.”(If you are Apostolic, just about every scripture has been preached as a “One God” message.)  I’m sure Pastor Chipman preached a wonderful message; I did try to concentrate and I do remember brief “amen” moments.  On this Sunday morning the scripture sent me to memories of my Dad.  My dad loved to work with wood and the smells of freshly sawn boards and piles of saw dust still evoke memories of a happy time.  Dad always dreamed of living in a house built with his own hands.  Some days he would go help a friend who built houses, framing the shell, nailing shingles or hanging doors.  I’m not sure if he did it for the experience or the satisfaction of seeing something come together he had helped build.  Many years later, this friend’s daughter told me her dad always said there was no better “Finish Carpenter” than Deloy Hawks.

A “Finish” carpenter is the important crew member that adds the last little touches to complete the project.  There may be a few inconsequential gaps between the drywall and the floor but once the finish carpenter nails the last bit of baseboard in place, who would know.  The posts on the porch may be just rough wood poles until the finish carpenter surrounds and trims them turning the porch into an elegant, inviting portico.  The home or project may be just as serviceable without the finishing touches but not as appealing or valuable to the occupants.

How did all of this come from Hebrew 12:2?  It took me back to a special project my dad was building many years ago.  It was a gun cabinet for a friend.  This was not a self-assembly kit with numbered pieces and detailed instructions.  OH NO, my dad was clearly the AUTHOR of the project.  It was his design and his hands shaped and lovingly fitted every board into its precise place.  Even beautiful oak boards can have flaws but that was no problem for the “author.”  I watched my Dad as he took a “hand or block planer” and slowly shaved away the flaws until he could run his hands smoothly over the surface.  Once Dad had assembled the gun cabinet, the finish work began.  If you have always purchased furniture from a furniture store, you have no idea the hard work that goes into the rich finish.  It takes layers of stain for just the right color, then a layer of polyurethane, sanding, more polyurethane, more sanding and more polyurethane until the desired depth and richness is attained.  I still remember the way the felt-backing was painstakingly glued to the inside and the Amerock hardware was installed on the doors and drawers.  Finally, the day came when Dad took a step back and with pride announced “She’s finished!”  Dad was the Author and the Finisher of that gun cabinet from the first nail to the last hinge on the door; it was his creation.

As, the memories faded and the sermon became more clear, suddenly, Hebrews 12:2 took on a whole different meaning to me.  I’m not just an old lump of clay that someone had formed into a pot then sent to the finisher to be glazed and fired, nor am I an ugly rock picked up to be cut and polished into a valuable diamond.  I AM A SPECIAL CREATION, AUTHORED BY GOD.  He formed me with great plans in mind.  As I matured and the pieces began to fit into place, each part of my life was lovingly orchestrated for my good, according to His plan.  At times a rough spot has to be planed, a bubble in the varnish has to be sanded or the lining has to be repaired, but I am in the capable hands of the “Master Finisher.”  There is still a little finishing to be completed to fulfill God’s ultimate plan but as is so eloquently stated in Hebrews 12:2, I’m “looking unto Jesus the AUTHOR and FINISHER of my faith.