“Starting with Jesus doesn’t mean the day will be easy—it means we’re reminded who walks with us through all of it. Before the schedules, responsibilities, worries, and noise take over, spend a little time in His presence. Let His truth steady your heart before anything else has the chance to shape it.” Quote and photo borrowed from Salt & Light ~
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. – Psalm 143:8 NIV
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22–23 ESV
Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. – Psalm 30:5
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening. – Psalm 92:2
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. – Mark 1:35 NIV
Through the years, I have learned that starting the day with Jesus can make a huge difference. Whether in attitude, strength, peace, hope, joy, and ~ well, pretty much any other emotion a person can have. Our outlook on the day ahead can be affected by what we’re facing ~ worries, fears, a tough day at the office, a dreaded appointment, overwhelming daily tasks, leftover anger or hurt from the day before… However your day starts, whether it’s when your eyes open or after your feet hit the floor, there is one sure way to get even a good day off to a better start ~ and that’s with our eyes on Jesus. A verse, a study, a prayer … time in His presence is a difference-maker in attitude, heart, and mind. It can change how we see, speak, and listen to others. It can alter how we hear others, forgive others, and serve others. The presence of God, before us – behind us – and in us changes us from the inside out. It makes life sweeter and brighter because, as this ‘oldie but goodie’ by the Gaithers says: “Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right.”
Happy Tuesday, friends! God is so good to give us another day – let’s live it well for Him💜 Today’s devo, borrowed from Salt & Light, is an excellent source of encouragement for any given day of the week. Check it out – and take heart, my friends. The battle(s) ahead of us are not ours; they’re Gods! (2 Chronicles 20:15) – On any given day, we may feel outnumbered; we may be overwhelmed; we may be weak, and tired, and too weary to continue on – BUT – as today’s devo encourages us, we can praise God and declare His goodness before we ever see the victory!
Let’s “let worship speak louder than fear. And trust the God who fights for His people.” ~ Salt & Light
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat received terrifying news: a vast army was coming against Judah.
They were outnumbered. They were afraid. And they didn’t know what to do.
So Jehoshaphat called the people together and sought the Lord.
And God gave them a powerful reminder:
“The battle is not yours, but God’s.”
— 2 Chronicles 20:15
Then came the most unusual battle strategy.
When Judah marched toward the enemy, Jehoshaphat sent singers ahead of the army.
Not the warriors… Not the strongest men… The worshipers.
They went before the soldiers, praising God and declaring His goodness before they ever saw the victory.
And as they began to praise, the Lord set ambushes against their enemies, and the enemy armies turned against one another. By the time Judah arrived, the battle had already been won.
What a picture of faith.
They praised before the breakthrough.
They worshiped before the victory.
They trusted God before they could see what He was doing.
Maybe you’re facing a battle right now that feels bigger than you.
You may not know how God will make a way.
You may not know when the answer will come.
But you can still praise Him.
Because praise isn’t pretending the battle isn’t real.
Praise is remembering that the battle isn’t yours to carry alone.
“Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts.” —
Proverbs 21:2, NASB 1995
I recently read a post by Salt & Light that included the above verse, but what stood out to me was this quote: “This verse makes me stop and look at myself. It’s easy for me to think I’m right. I can explain how I feel and why I think something should happen a certain way. But God sees deeper than my explanations. He knows my heart, even the things I don’t clearly see in myself.“
Oh how true this is in my own life, and what a blessing – though one that convicts and allowed me to truly resonate with the author’s prayer. Lord, search my heart, like David prayed in Psalm 139:23–24. Show me what needs to change. Help me trust You enough to receive Your correction and follow where You lead.1
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. ~Psalm 139:23-24 NLT
These verses made me think about a chorus that I’ve sung for years. Particularly when I’m struggling with something that doesn’t align with God’s will, or when He’s leading me in a way that stretches my faith and trust. One thing I have learned through the course of 64 years of life is that God’s way is always right and always best. Knowing He is the Potter truly leads me to not just sing this chorus but to trust Him to mold and make me after His will
When the word ‘therefore‘ begins a sentence, it indicates that the words that follow are related to the words that came before. When you are reading it straight through, it is a bit easier to recognize what ‘therefore’ refers to. However, when we are reading/studying in smaller clusters of verses – at least for this forgetful mind – it is important to clarify the reference. In this particular portion of the letter, Paul is referring back to the fact that the believers have died with Christ, and He has set them free from the spiritual powers of the world. Yet they are still hung up on the world’s rules and human teachings.1
This does not mean that believers should ignore all earthly concerns. It does, however, mean that believers ought to give their time and attention to things pleasing to God, rather than things pleasing to men.
Bibleref.com, Colossians 3:2
So Paul reminds them that having been raised with Christ, transformed into new creations in Him, their life is meant to be for and about Christ and the things He taught and did in His life on earth – not the world and its demands, expectations, or approval. For us to live like this, we must set our minds on Heaven – our eternal home where Christ and God are ~ instead of on earthly things that distract and often hold us captive. However, as Bibleref.com warns, “This [setting our minds on things above] does not mean that believers should ignore all earthly concerns. It does, however, mean that believers ought to give their time and attention to things pleasing to God, rather than things pleasing to men.”
Here’s a quick word picture of how our thoughts affect our actions, etc. ~ When my dad was teaching me how to drive, he started me off on a path that took me through our little town. One direction led under an underpass that, to this new driver, didn’t seem wide enough for two cars, and the other direction went up a hill where there was a pretty thick and tall’ish’ culvert on the side of the road. Fifty-some years later, I still drive these paths nearly every day, without a problem. However, at 16 years old and a new driver, the walls of the underpass and the protruding culvert rising above the road caught my eyes/mind every time and caused me to veer into the other lane and oncoming traffic. Needless to say, I caused my father great concern and was always reminded that I needed to keep my eyes/mind on the road ahead of me and not allow myself to be distracted/frightened or controlled by the things around me. ~ I hadn’t thought about those driving lessons for a while until the analogy flooded my mind just now – as a fitting reminder that to live the Christian life well in this world of distractions we must keep our eyes/minds on the “road ahead” or as Paul writes, the “things above” so that we aren’t distracted, frightened, or controlled by the things of the world.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ~ Colossians 3:1-2
Friends, in a world where people are always watching what we do and listening to what we say, how we live and speak matters. We know this because Jesus told His disciples to “let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16); and Paul told the believers at Ephesus, “Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them“(Ephesians 4:29). Today’s passage makes it clear that it is equally, or perhaps even more important, to give as much concern to what we think about (set our mind on). After all, Scripture also tells us that out of the mouth comes the overflow of the heart (Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:45), which I have learned in my own battles with my mind can also be translated: where my mind is ~ there my heart (actions, words, desires, attitudes…) will be also. In other words, what I think about is evident in my actions, words, desires, and attitudes.
Response of Worship
Reflection and Application
In all the years that I have been putting this teaching into practice, more than 30 years now, I have learned that to do so requires us to be purposeful. We must physically fix our minds on the things of God (Father, Son, Spirit) ~ things that matter to Him, things that cause us to live and speak and love like Jesus and not the world.
In your day-to-day life, what are some practical steps you can take to help you focus more on eternal things?
Prayer of Response
Father, You are good and worthy of my love and life – given by You and for You and Your glory, by grace through Faith in Christ. Spirit, help me to set my mind on things above ~ the things that matter to You. Guard me from being caught up with the things of the world and the pleasures and/or the desires and demands of ‘man’. For I am Yours, set apart for You 💜
The More We Know
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ~Philippians 4:8
“The secret is simply this: Christ in you! Yes, Christ in you, bringing with him the hope of all glorious things to come.”
JB Philips
Friends, whether it is a blinding light, as Paul experienced on the road to Damascus1, or a letter from the Apostle Paul himself, God will let us know what He wants us to know in the course of His perfect timing. Here in our Scripture for today’s journey, we read that God wanted to make known to them (Jews & Gentiles) the “glorious riches” that had been given to them. These riches are summed up as the hope of glory, which includes our resurrection (Romans 8:11), the guarantee of His Spirit in us (Ephesians 4:30; Ephesians 1:14), who guarantees our Heavenly inheritance (1 Peter 1:3–4), which is, even now, being kept in Heaven for us.
Christ’s presence in us is the hope of glory, and this truth is full of “glorious riches.” Our once dead, darkened spirits are made alive. Christ is in our hearts, and we know that there is life beyond this earthly existence—a life that will be glorious beyond all imagination. Gotquestions.org
Until now, the glorious riches have been a mystery to the Gentiles. Paul explains “the mystery” as being “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This explanation was meant to encourage the believers then, and it should encourage us today. For if Christ lives in us now, we can know with certainty that we will one day be with Him in Heaven ~ for the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in us and will also give life to our mortal bodies ~ and hal-le-lu-jah! ~ He will secure for us a heavenly inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade! Friends, it is a future full of glorious riches that we can’t begin to truly picture. Make no mistake, though ~ the Spirit and the promise of the hope of glory and its glorious riches are available only to those who believe. If you are reading this today but do not know Jesus as your Savior, I encourage you to follow the Know These Truths link below, where you will learn all about my Jesus and how these promises can be yours today.
The hope of glory includes our resurrection: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11). It includes a heavenly inheritance: “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3–4). The Spirit of Christ within us is the “deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:14). Christ’s presence in us is the hope of glory, and this truth is full of “glorious riches.” Our once dead, darkened spirits are made alive. Christ is in our hearts, and we know that there is life beyond this earthly existence—a life that will be glorious beyond all imagination.
Gotquestions.org
Reflection and Application
In what ways are we “gloriously rich” if we have Jesus? Try making a list of all the “riches” we have in Christ? (search for them in Ephesians 1:7-14)
Response of Prayer
Father, thank you for the glorious hope and riches that we have to look forward to in Christ. Thank You for making known the mystery of the Gospel, for Christ in us, and the seal of Your Spirit, who guarantees not only our resurrection but our inheritance that is being being kept in Heaven for us. Thank you that we can know with certainty that we will one day be with You in Heaven. ~To You be all the glory, Amen
Saul’s/Paul’s Story in a Nutshell, The Journey: Saul went to catch and hurt followers of Jesus. The Flash: A bright light brighter than the noon sun shone all around him. The Fall: Saul fell down on the ground. The Voice: A voice said, “Saul, Saul, why do you hurt me?” The Answer: The voice was Jesus.
What Happened Next The Blindness: Saul could not see after the light. His friends had to lead him by hand into the city of Damascus. The Three Days: Saul sat in the dark for three days without food or water. The Healing: A helper named Ananias prayed for Saul, and things like fish scales fell from his eyes. He could see again. The Change: Saul became Paul, a main teacher and writer of the New Testament. ↩︎
19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. Colossians 1:19-23
Paul wrote that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17), the author of Hebrews wrote that God’s Word is living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12, and the Psalmist wrote that God’s Word is a lamp for our feet and a light to guide our path (Ps 119:105). On today’s journey, it is Paul who makes it clear that God’s Word is where we find the assurance of salvation and the gifts that it brings those who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are the gifts of eternal life by grace through faith, the hope of Heaven, the promise of His Spirit in us, the freedom from and forgiveness of sin, peace during trouble, and mercies that are new every morning… and the list goes on. So it is no little thing when Paul advises the believers to “remain in the faith, established and firm, without shifting from the hope of the gospel…” the same gospel which Paul declares he has “become a servant.“
Here on this earth, we will have troubles; we will hear of wars and rumors of war, we will see wickedness increase, and there will be those that preach or encourage a different message than the truth of Jesus Christ ~ but as Paul urged the Colossian believers, we are to hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The same gospel message that we believed and through which we were saved. There will be heartaches and discouragements, seemingly unanswered prayers and needs that make us wonder where God is – but we must be resolute in our faith, not wavering, not turning to the right or to the left but trusting in and pursuing the One who pursued us. We must give the utmost effort to remembering the work and mediation of Jesus Christ on our behalf, the crux of which are found a praise song, Lord I Lift Your Name on High1, from the 80’s, “He came from Heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross our debt to pay, from the cross to grave and from the grave to the sky … Lord I lift Your name on high.”
Lord, I lift Your name on high. Lord, I love to sing Your praises. I’m so glad You’re in my life; I’m so glad You came to save us.
You came from Heaven to earth To show the way. From the Earth to the cross, My debt to pay. From the cross to the grave, From the grave to the sky; Lord, I lift Your name on high.
Songs of Praise
Friends, it’s not something I’m proud of, but my faith was the shakiest when I began spending more time with the world and its vast temptations than in the Word of God. The longer I played both sides of the fence (or tried to), the shakier my faith became. At its worst, I began believing that I had crossed too many lines, committed too many sins to ever know God’s favor again. Eventually, I was so overwhelmed with my sin and was working so hard to be ‘good’ enough to win His love ‘back’ that I lost sight of the truth that the work of Christ on the cross had already paid the full sin debt I owed. Somewhere along the way, I had failed to fully understand the message, depth, and power of God’s grace ~ a grace that was and always will be greater than all my (our) sins. It is also a grace that is never earned but always and only received through faith alone, in Christ alone.
It’s dangerous not to see ourselves as sinners in daily need of God’s grace.2
Response of Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that even though I was your enemy, you found me and drew me to yourself by your great work on the cross. Thank you for dramatically transforming my heart so many years ago, for taking my sins in Your own body and pouring Your transforming power into my life. You turned God’s wrath away from me and opened the way for me to be made new in You, declaring me righteous before God. ~ Amen
Reflection and Application
What are the two things God needed to deal with so that we could be reconciled to Him?
Response of Worship
The More We Know
“Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” is a contemporary Christian worship song written by Rick Founds in 1989. The song was inspired during Founds’ morning devotion, where he was reading scriptures and reflecting on his faith. It encapsulates the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, expressing themes of praise and gratitude for salvation ↩︎
And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your minds, as expressed through your evil deeds, but now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him – Colossians 1:21-22
I often find myself saying, or hearing others say, “I honestly don’t know how people get through life without God.” How do they navigate life-threatening illnesses, the agonizing grief of burying a loved one without the hope of eternity, or the pain of divorce and the devastation of job loss? To those without faith in Jesus, a God of endless mercy, love, and grace can seem impossible to understand. As Paul wrote, the Gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18). They struggle to comprehend a Creator who loves a world of sinners so deeply that He gave His only Son to them (John 3:16). It passes human understanding that Jesus—sinless, powerful enough to heal the sick and raise the dead—would willingly hang on a cross for our sins instead of calling down ten thousand angels to save Himself (John 10:18; Matthew 26:53). Yet, the truth is, as Paul wrote to the Colossian believers, Christ gave His life for strangers and enemies, reconciling them with His physical body through death so that He could present them blameless before God. Because of His sacrifice – His blood on the cross – and the unfathomable grace of God, salvation has been offered to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved … Acts 16:41 Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. John 6:47 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Consider the following commentary found in the Love God Greatly Journal, Christ is All I Need, and let the reality sink in that before we came to Jesus, we were strangers from God and cut off from Him. How does knowing that you were an enemy and stranger before God make you feel? Read through the three verses above that declare God’s gift and means of reconciliation – how does this make you feel?
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Friends, how have your responded to God’s loving and undeserved offer of reconciliation? If you haven’t turned to Him in faith and gratitude, I invite you to click here: “Know these Truths”
The Bible makes it clear that by nature we all have a deep hostility toward God in us. This is expressed through evil deeds. We were strangers to God because we loved our sin, and we hated the God who rebuked our sin. We didn’t want to surrender to Him but instead cling to our own plans and ideas. Since sin was the root cause of the problem, a holy God not only had to deal with the punishment for sin but also with our hearts. We needed to be dramatically transformed with a new heart, which did not love sin and was not hostile to God anymore. Reconciliation was only possible if our sinful nature was changed, and God’s holy wrath was appeased. And that’s exactly what God did. He appeased His wrath by pouring it out on Jesus, and He made us new creations by faith in Jesus. On the cross, Jesus bore our sins in His own body. When we believe in Him, He pours His transforming power into our lives. When we trust Jesus for His redemptive work, we are declared righteous. And when we get to heaven, we will finally become in practice what we are now already in position: holy, without blemish, and blameless.
LGG, Christ is All I Need, p 81
Prayer Response
Lord Jesus, even though I was your enemy, you found me and drew me to yourself by your great work on the cross. Thank you for making a way where there was no way. Amen.
Today’s Road Map for our Journey through Colossians: Read Colossians 1:15-19 and John 15:1-8; (SOAP: Colossians 1:19)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. 18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son
Colossians 1:15-19 NET
Yesterday’s journey revealed that Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. We looked at power of Jesus. The fact that He has always been and will always be. He was there in the beginning, creating with God. He was in the heart of creation, as Paul writes, “all things in heaven and on earth were created in/through Jesus.” God wanted Paul’s readers, us included, to understand that Jesus was not only there in the beginning as part of the creative team (Father, Son, Spirit), but he was fully and creatively involved. As Bibleref.com explains, His creative power “included absolutely everything imaginable: heaven, earth, visible, invisible.” Paul wrote that even “thrones and dominions, principalities or powers ~ all things were created through him and for him.” In other words, as Paul suggests in Romans 11:36 and as John mentioned in John 17:24, “Creation exists for His glory.1“
For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
Romans 11:36
In today’s journey, we continue to look at Paul’s beautiful word portrait of Christ. He portrays Him as the head of the church (the body of Christ). Friends, that’s us; as believers we are the Church. This means Christ is the head of us. We are under His authority. Just as a vine is the source of the branches, so Christ is the source of our faith and salvation. As He told the disciples, we are to abide in Him, yielding to His leadership and control; and our lives should reflect His love. I love the way that today’s LGG journal explains this: “Think of the little branch on the vine. It can do nothing by itself. It needs the sap of the vine to flow into it in order to be of any use. That’s what Jesus is to us. He is the sap, the living water, God’s fullness, flowing into our barren lives.”
That’s what Jesus is to us. He is the sap, the living water, God’s fullness, flowing into our barren lives.”
LGG Journal, Christ Is All I need, p 78
As I was typing that last quote from the book, it made me think of an old hymn I used to love to sing, called “Fill My Cup Lord”. It is a great reminder that while our hearts may respond and even chase after the treasures of this world, none can truly fill us up and satisfy our souls. Only Jesus and the fullness of God’s love that He alone can offer us will be enough, for “The infinite God gives Himself to us in the person of His Son. Jesus is a reservoir full of God’s mercy, love, and grace. We can come to Him whenever we want and receive all we need.2“
Like the woman at the well, I was seeking For things that could not satisfy. And then I heard my Savior speaking— “Draw from My well that never shall run dry.”
(chorus) Fill my cup, Lord; I lift it up Lord; Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.
There are millions in this world who are seeking For pleasures earthly goods afford. But none can match the wondrous treasure That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.
(chorus)
So my brother if the things that this world gives you Leave hungers that won’t pass away, My blessed Lord will come and save you If you kneel to Him and humbly pray—
(chorus)
Instead of trying to find fulfillment in earthly things, let’s instead go to Him who said: “The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35)
Prayer Response
Lord Jesus, I am empty, but you are full. I am needy, but you are sufficient. You can fill every void in me. I thank you for this reminder and ask that you help me always turn to you instead of the world and its offerings ~ only then will I be truly satisfied; only in You will I find all I need. Thank you. Amen.3
So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,
12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
Colossians 1:9-14. NET
I marvel at these opening words (1-14) of Paul in his letter to the Colossian believers. He wasn’t just happy to hear about their salvation and their faithfulness. He wasn’t merely offering an obligatory pledge to pray for them; he was blessing them with the utmost encouragement that prayers were continually being lifted up on their behalf. As we looked at in the earlier parts of our journey, Paul even listed out the reasons and focus of their prayers – which centered on the work of the Father, their faith in the good news of the Gospel, God’s grace, and the love the Holy Spirit had given them for others. We noted how the entire Trinity ~ the Father, Son, and Spirit is part of Paul and Timothy’s prayer and the faith of the Colossians. Don’t miss that the focus of their prayers was that the people would “live worthily of the Lord and please Him in all respects…”
From the beginning, Paul’s words bring conviction to my heart, but twelve verses into this opening portion of the letter, my toes are still being stepped on. For Paul now encourages the Colossian believers to be filled with joy and give thanks to God, and proceeds to instruct them or prompt them with all (or many of the things) that they have to be thankful for. His list is appropriate for us today and one that I am persuaded to use in my own prayers of thanksgiving.
Always thanking the Father that …
God has made it possible for me to share in the <strongift and promises of salvation</stron
He has promised me an inheritance (in the light1) that belongs to His people (Galatians 3:6-14)
Christ is the Light of the world… John wrote that He is the Word of God… The Word is often referred to as light – such as in Psalm 119:105
He has promised deliverance from the power of darkness to the Kingdom of Christ
and finally, here in Colossians, we are reminded that we are promised the redemption, which is the forgiveness of sins through the blood and mediation of Christ Jesus our Lord – the only begotten and beloved Son of God
Friends, we have many reasons to give thanks to God on any given day; however, these that Paul mentions for the “Church/believers in Colossae” should flow from our lips often – for other believers/Churches as Paul and Timothy are doing here and for ourselves – as we realize with a fresh awareness that God chose to deliver us, not only from our sins but from the power of darkness over our lives —as Paul wrote. May we never forget or take lightly the gift of redemption (the forgiveness of sins) that we have received through the blood of Jesus Christ and the grace of our loving God.
Reflection and Application
What sins has Jesus saved you from?
Who can you begin praying for to be free from the chains of sin by the grace of Jesus Christ?
The More We Know
Key Bible Passages for Sharing in the inheritance of Abraham, through faith in Christ
Galatians 3:29: “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” [1]
Galatians 3:7: “Realize, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.” [1]
Romans 4:13: “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” [1]
Ephesians 3:6: “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” [1, 2, 3]
In verse 12, Paul also makes mention of light, “which is an important part of Hebrew thinking. According to the Jewish people, all knowledge and goodness was symbolized by ‘light’ while sin and ignorance were characterized by ‘ darkness.’ This is a theme of the apostle John, as well, frequently used in both his letters and the Gospel of John.”
Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Matthew 6:28-29
As a child, to my remembrance, I didn’t want for anything. We had food and clothing, a comfortable and safe home. My dad worked as an inspector at a local plant, and my mother was home with us before we started school. At some point after that, she began working as a receptionist in the local doctor’s office. She had various other jobs after Doc Sadler retired. Most of my growing-up years, there was only one car; if my dad drove to work, we did without the car during the day, but our small town was equipped with a grocery store, a bank, a pool, our schools, and friends and family all within walking distance. Our clothes were from thrift stores, rummage sales, the local Sears department store, and occasionally from one of the nicer/bigger downtown stores, particularly on dollar day. I didn’t know it at the time, but they scrimped and saved and took advantage of layaway plans, and life was always good. I truly do not recall ever having thought that the grass was greener on either side of the fence. However, I’m sure after growing up and hearing the stories of how they scrimped and saved, life wasn’t as easy or rosy for my mom and dad as it was for me.
Today’s snapshot of God’s character is still zoomed in on Him being a God of peace. Just as my mom and dad provided in ways that never left me wondering if we would have food, a place to live, or clothes on our backs, our God does the same. He’s never left me wondering, even when money’s been tight, or I didn’t know how repairs would get done, or I would manage on my own when my husband left – God always provided, always sent help, always made a way. He is a good and loving provider and a loving Father who has also taught me not to put too much emphasis and/or focus on having to have all the latest and greatest clothes, shoes, and purses. The lessons haven’t always been easy or comfortable, but they have been valuable and even life-altering.
Friend, let me close with this encouraging quote from The God Shot:
God is your provider. He knows all your needs. He is attentive to them. That means you have enough for this moment. And the next. And the next.
God Shots, p 17
Reflection and Application
Are there times/places where you’ve forgotten that He is a trustworthy provider? Thank Him for meeting your needs in the past. Ask Him to meet your needs in the present. Trust Him to meet your needs in the future. Rest in the peace of His provision. He’s where the joy is! (p 17, God Shots)
Ask yourself, do you see God as your provider, as an all-sufficient provider? Or do you feel like He leaves you wanting and needing to strive harder to have more or keep up with others around you? ~ Let’s face it, in this world of excess and pleasure, it is difficult not to get caught up in the desires of the culture and ‘keeping up with the Joneses’; my prayer is that I/we will remember to not focus on what we have or don’t have or what the people beside us have, or being the trendiest. Instead, may our focus be on God, our provider, and what’s important to Him, which is to reflect Jesus to the world around us.
2 Chronicles 20:15–22
Me From the Inside Out 