Tag: Bible study

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Visible Image

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Road Map for the Journey: Colossians 1:15-17; John 1:1-3 ~ (soap: Col 1:16)

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. ~ Colossians 1:15-17 NET

I have a friend whose father passed away many years ago. However, because two of his children (and some of their children) look and sound just like him Corky’s ‘image’ remains visible to me. As I was reading today’s passage, I thought of them and the clear resemblance of their features. I get the same type of comments from the nurses and residents at the senior living center where my mother lives: “You look so much like your mother” is part of at least one conversation or greeting every time I visit. While these similar traits and comments make me think of Paul’s declaration that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God”, there is a distinct difference. While I may look very much like my mother, unlike God, my mother was never invisible. Instead, my mom has a visible form that I resemble. Corky had a visible form that many in his family resemble. However, Paul writes that “Jesus is the image of the invisible God.” In other words, as Bibleref.com explains, “The unseen God became seen, in the form of Jesus.1“

Paul also describes Jesus in this passage as the “firstborn of all creation.” However, it is important to understand that this in no way means that Jesus was created. Jesus was, and is, and always will be. John wrote in John 1:1, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In John 10:30, Jesus Himself declares, “The Father and I are one.” A quick glance back at Genesis 1:1-2 reveals that: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” God was creating from the beginning, and as we have already been reminded, John wrote that Jesus was in the beginning with God. He went on to say in the verse that followed that “He/Jesus existed in the beginning with God.” This settles any question of Jesus being a created being. Paul makes it equally and dramatically clear in verses 16 and 17 of our passage today, where he writes: “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 power ~ all things were created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all things, and all things are held together in Him.”

If He were created He would not be equal to the Father, nor would He be eternal.

Bibleref.com

Friends, in the beautifully poetic exaltation of Paul in Colossians 1:15-17, describing Jesus as Creator, we must not lose sight of this truth: Jesus created not only the sun, moon, and stars… He created us. As today’s LGG Journal entry rightly reminds us: “We were made for Jesus, not the world, your reputation, your relationship status, or your material possessions. You were made to know and worship the Creator.2

Reflection and Application

Love God Greatly’s journal entry for today concludes with this statement and two questions: “Everything was created in, through, and for Jesus. He is the only being worthy of our worship.”

  • Is your mind captured with the greatness and beauty of Jesus?
  • Do you worship Him?

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus, you made everything. You are in charge of all powers. Nothing happens without your permission. Help me to worship you in the way you alone deserve. Amen3

The More We Know

What does John 1:2 mean? by Bibleref.com

This continues to introduce Jesus, while countering false views of spirituality. John already described Jesus as the Logos, meaning “the Word,” of God (John 1:1). Jesus is a living message: a definition of God the Father. John also specifies that Jesus did not become God. Nor did He rise to the level of God. Jesus Christ has always been God, from the very beginning. John 1:1 states that the Word was God, not something separate from God.

This verse clarifies that this was true from the start. Jesus was not a created being, nor a separate being. He was, and is, God. This is a claim Jesus will make of Himself later in the gospel. In John 8:38, for instance, Jesus claims to speak what He has heard directly from the Father. Shortly after, in John 8:58, Jesus not only claims to have existed before Abraham, He refers to Himself using the name of God: “I am.” John will relate several of these “I am” statements in his book.

Footnotes
  1. Bibleref.com, Colossians 1:15 ↩︎
  2. Christ is All I Need, p74 ↩︎
  3. Christ is All I Need, p74 ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Joyfully Giving Thanks

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Road Map: Colossians 1:1-14 (SOAP: 12-14)

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.”

  1. https://www.bibleref.com/Colossians/1/Colossians-1-12.html ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Sharing in the Inheritance

Posted on by MaryEllen

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.

Colossians 1:11-12

Remember, our journey yesterday revealed that Paul’s reason for praying for the church was so that they might please God – not just in the big things but in “every good deed [or work]. In today’s passage, Paul continues to share his prayer for the church – both to encourage them in their walk of faith and to remind them that God has enabled them to share in the “inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.” This is not simply an inheritance of property or land or money, but the far more valuable gift of God, which is eternal life and that of the Holy Spirit.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in the assurance and realization of the saints’ inheritance. Ephesians 1:13-14 states, “In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.” The Holy Spirit is both a seal and a guarantee, affirming the believer’s status as an heir and providing a foretaste of the future inheritance.

Peter describes the inheritance as imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). It is an inheritance not earned or deserved, but acquired by faith and secured through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. By God’s grace, believers are described as co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), sharing in His glory and the fullness of God’s promises.

Click here for more on the inheritance that is ours through Christ.1

I really appreciate the following commentary2 from David Guzik concerning the prayer of Paul and Timothy for the Colossian believers:

c. Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. This is how we can be fully pleasing to God and how we can have a worthy walk.

i. This is an echo of Jesus’ thought in John 15:7-8: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

ii. “‘Fruitful in every good work.’ Here is room and range enough – in ‘every good work.’ Have you the ability to preach the gospel? Preach it! Does a little child need comforting? Comfort it! Can you stand up and vindicate a glorious truth before thousands? Do it! Does a poor saint need a bit of dinner from your table? Send it to her. Let works of obedience, testimony, zeal, charity, piety, and philanthropy all be found in your life. Do not select big things as your special line, but glorify the Lord also in the littles – ‘fruitful in every good work.’” (Spurgeon)

d. Strengthened with all might: As we walk worthy of the Lord, His strength is there to help us meet all of life’s challenges, and to endure and overcome problems with circumstances (patience) and people (longsuffering) with joy.

Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

a. Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us: In the divine administration, the Father is mentioned in connection with the broad sweep of His plan of redemption. He is the Person of the Trinity who initiates the plan of the ages.

b. To be partakers of the inheritance of the saints: It is the Father who qualifies us, not our own works. We gain this as an inheritance, instead of earning it as a wage.

Reflection and Application

Friends, let us not overlook Paul’s words of specific thanks to the Father. Instead, let us be faithful to include such thanksgiving in our own prayers. For it is good to give thanks to God, to praise Him for what He has done and for His good, good gifts – of love, mercy, and grace and of His presence with us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Let us also be quick and faithful to not just tell someone we will pray for them but truly and specifically pray for them and make them aware of our prayers that they might be encouraged and strengthened “with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.”

  1. https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_saints’_inheritance.htm ↩︎
  2. Guzik, Enduring Word ↩︎
Mountain valley covered in morning mist with sun rising over distant peaks
Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Confident Hope

Posted on by MaryEllen

 We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

Colossians 1:3-5 (SOAP verse 5)

Friends, I am borrowing from the LGG Study Journal again today – partly because I am having computer problems and having to use my iPad to post this, but also because I was out later than expected tonight helping Abi with her classroom.

Today’s focal point is verse five, and it is one of the key verses of the entire book. A reminder for us that it’s not just important to have faith – we must be confident in our faith – the belief in the truth that God has promised us a home in heaven with Him … not because our parents believed, or because “we worked for it or earned it, or ever could,” but solely because of God’s amazing grace.

Consider these words from the LGG team:

Do you often think of the hope lad up for you in heaven? The hope that one day, you will be totally healed and perfected, forever filled with indescribable joy? That all your tears will be wiped away, and nobody will ever cause you grief again? That you will finally see the loving face of Jesus?

Note how this hope came to us: Through the gospel. We didn’t work for it, and we don’t deserve it. But God gave us hope simply because we heard the message of truth and believed it. The gospel is the message that Jesus died and rose again three days later to forgive us of all our sins. It is a gift of grace through faith. God has subsequently prepared a place in heaven for those who trust in His Son.

Our hope as Christians is based only on God’s grace. Because it’s not based on our performance, it is firm. It is not a case of “I hope I’ll make it to heaven somehow.” Instead, we can proclaim, “I know I’ll make it to heaven because of what Jesus has done for me.”

Have you ever heard the phrase that some people are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good? Clearly this is not the teaching of the Bible. Right here, Paul is saying that the hope of heaven actually gives rise to love and encourages us to live faithfully and missionally here on earth. Real heavenly mindedness will make us more loving, less self-centered, less fearful, and less greedy.

Jesus Himself promised that whatever it may cost us now to serve and love others, our reward in heaven makes these sacrifices more than worthwhile.

Lord Jesus, please open the eyes of my heart so that I can see more clearly the glorious future that awaits me. – Amen.

Reflection and Application:

What about you? Is your faith confident or shakable? Is it based on the truth of the Gospel that you have heard or is it in the church…the people…your family…your good works??? Take some time and consider these questions and examine your faith.

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Uncategorized

The Thanks Belong to God

Posted on by MaryEllen

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 1:3-8; James 1:17 (SOAP: Colossians 1:3-4)

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, Since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.

Colossians 1:3-4

Today’s post is shared from p 40 of the Love God Greatly Journal, Christ is All I Need

Through the report of others, Paul heard about the faith and love of the Colossian believers. They trusted in Jesus, and they loved other Christians. Interestingly, he doesn’t praise them for it. Instead, he gives thanks to God for these virtues. Why? He knows that they didn’t produce their own faith or love, but these were gifts of grace from God.

Can the same be said of us? Are we marked by love for God and others? Let’s never forget to thank God for anything good we see in us, since He is the One who has produced it, and let’s acknowledge that every “perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17).

There is no room for pride or jealousy. How do we feel when we see other Christians displaying Christ-like characteristics? Do we honestly rejoice with them, giving thanks to God for the good He has worked in them, or do we maybe feel a little jealous? The attitude God wants us to have is one of gratitude. Just like Paul, we should thank God for everything positive we see in our fellow Christians.

Let’s remember that everything good, whether material or spiritual, is given to us by God. May we be made into women who overflow with thankfulness for the good we ourselves have received and that has been given to others.

Just imagine what an encouraging place the church would be if we not only saw God’s good work in others, but, like Paul, we were truly thankful for it rather than jealous. Imagine how much joy could be spread if we genuinely rejoiced with others for what God has done in their lives.

Lord, I confess that so often I become proud of what I have, or I am jealous of what others have. Please forgive me and make me into a thankful person. Amen.

Today’s Reflection and Application:

Can you think of spiritual fruit in your own life which you are thankful for? How about any spiritual fruit in one of your Christian friends? How could you encourage them about it?

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

Saints and Faithful Brethren

Posted on by MaryEllen

Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:1-8 and Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (SOAP: Colossians 1:2)

 We are writing to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.

Colossians 1:2

Friends, check out the words that Paul uses to describe the people who belonged to the Colossian Church: “…the saints1 and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.” Or as the author of Deuteronomy describes God’s people in his day, “… a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.” Or as the LGG journal entry encourages us, “We are His holy people, chosen and set apart for Him. We have been called out of the world to live for the world to come.”2 You see, while Paul is speaking specifically about the Colossian believers in his letter, and Deuteronomy’s writer is referring to the people of Israel, the terms saints and holy people apply to us who are believers as well.

The Christian life is lived by trusting in God’s grace, given to us in Jesus. We are God’s beloved children, and it is His grace, not our performance, that will provide us with all we need to live for Him.

LGG Journal, Christ Is All I Need, p36

It is important to understand that Paul’s description isn’t meant to elevate us or reflect how wonderful we are but rather how wonderful God is. After all, it was Paul who wrote that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23) and that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. choosing us and setting us ~ imperfect as we are ~ apart for Him. This calling and gift is ours only through the grace of God when we place our faith in Christ who came to die so that we might live. It is as simple and yet profound as that.

“If we could truly understand grace and receive what Christ has accomplished for us, our hearts and lives would be filled with peace. The Colossians needed to hear this truth, and so do we today.”

LGG Journal, Christ Is All I Need, p36

It is my prayer that as we journey through the book of Colossians together, we will learn not only to know Jesus better but to more fully understand His grace and truth and be filled with His peace.

  1. This is not a reference to ‘ultra holy people’ but refers to believers (those who followed Christ). ↩︎
  2. LGG Journal, Christ Is All I Need, p36 ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Uncategorized

Worry Doesn’t Help

Posted on by MaryEllen

Full disclosure

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Matthew 6:26-27

Years, probably more like decades ago, I remember a little ditty/chorus that turned into the catch-phrase of the day. I’m guessing you’ll remember it too:

“Don’t worry, be happy ~ put a smile on your face ~ don’t worry be happy”

Then the chorus would just repeat itself … or so I thought. However, when it came to my mind today after I read today’s verse, I looked it up and learned that there were also three or four verses with the chorus. The premise of every verse is that “In every life we have some trouble ~ but when you worry you make it double.” Then the chorus would repeat… “Don’t worry be happy, don’t worry be happy …. put a smile on your face 🙂 Don’t worry be happy”

As Jesus continued His teaching, known as the Sermon on the Mount, He not only continued His instruction on not being anxious, but He posed the question, “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” He uses an example that most, if not all, of His audience can relate to, pointing out that if God takes care of the birds, “how much more attention/care will He give to His children”?

The book, “God Shots” states that, “We’re given to anxiety when we forget that God is attentive and active in our lives, so Jesus again makes the point that He doesn’t want them to be anxious.” So important is this lesson of “not being anxious”, that my little “God Shots” book points out the warning/instruction is given “366 times in Scripture God tells His children not to be afraid.” He says it over and over but only to His children, which the book suggests is, because He wants them to know that He is will take care of them.

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Friend, let me ask you a question the book poses, “Is your heart at peace right now? Or does it need to remember the goodness of your Father’s attentive love? if you’re feeling anxious , be on the lookout today for all the ways your Father has provided and is providing.” Write them down, thank Him for these reminders and keep a running list for all the times ahead when anxious thoughts fill your mind. Use them to speak truth and calm to your mind – that Your Father who cares for the birds also cares for you – and even more.

Now back to that little song that seems so nonsensical, but oddly enough, when I stopped to consider it aligns quite nicely with the teaching of God’s Word. For Jesus told His disciples that in this world they would have troubles. But He follows that up with the encouragement for them not to lose hope because “He has overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

So, don’t worry – be happy, put a smile on your face 😎

Woman with eyes closed touching temples with hands and glowing third eye symbol overlay
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, prayer, Quiet Time

Peace Requires Retraining Our Focus

Posted on by MaryEllen

In today’s blog, we will zoom in on Matthew 6:25 where Jesus says:

Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Those of you who have followed my posts for very long have likely heard my story and know that I used to battle anxiety. It was a noose around my neck and choked the life out of me more times than I can count. BUT GOD, in His goodness, set me free from the grip anxiety had on me. This is not to say that anxiety doesn’t still seek to grab hold of me, but today’s verse and others like it (Philip. 4:6-8, 1 Peter 5:7, Isa. 26:3…) are ready weapons that silence the anxious thoughts and give me victory over the enemy who, as Paul wrote, “…seeks to steal, kill, and destroy”(John 10:10).

You see, what I had to learn years ago is to retrain my focus. If I focused on my circumstances (the things of this life), the enemy, with his fiery darts of anxiety, was sure to win the battle; BUT GOD showed me that when I set my mind on Him and His Word, where we find that His character is one of truth … goodness … faithfulness … ever-present …. abounding in love (and so much more)… then the battle and the victory belonged to Him and the anxious thoughts no longer had any power over me!

As the author points out in today’s ‘snapshot’1, “Jesus says we should aim to focus on our true home, which is in the next life–in God’s kingdom. The things that cause us anxiety are often things that are ‘passing away’ (1 John 2:17), but Jesus wants us to focus on the things that will last.”

Reflection and application

Today’s reflection and application are from “The God Shot”, p 13

  • Are you anxious over temporary things?
  • What is disrupting your peace today?
  • Where do you feel like God has forgotten you?
  1. Talk to Him about it.
  2. Remember He can be trusted, and
  3. His trustworthiness is the only thing that can truly set your heart at peace.

The More We Know

  1. THE GOD SHOT, 100 SHAPSHOTS OF GOD’S CHARACTER IN SCRIPTURE, pages12-13 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, prayer, Quiet Time

Gratitude for God’s Grace: A Daily Practice

Posted on by MaryEllen

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. ~ James 1:17

God is good! His love and blessings surround us, fill us, delight us, intrigue us, and astound us. He loves us with an unfathomable love. A love undeserved but so deep that He gave His only Son to save a world of sinners. Actually, His word describes us as his enemies. Yet still He loved us and gave us the gift of all gifts, the perfect gift that came down from above. He didn’t stop with the gift of Jesus; but to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God, and to all who received Him by faith, He gave the gift of everlasting life. He continued to pour out His blessings on us and continues to this day ~ mercies that are new every morning, all-sufficient grace, the privilege of prayer and the promise that He will hear and answer them. He gifts us with provisions of daily bread and other needs, renewed strength, forgiveness of sins, daily mercies (holding back what we do deserve), and unbelievable grace (giving gifts we don’t deserve). Then there’s also the gift of His active presence in our lives, His promise to never leave or forsake us, forgiveness for unimaginable sins, hope for tomorrow, and as Peter wrote, “everything we need for life and godliness”(2 Peter 1:3-4).

Friends, may we never become oblivious or unresponsive to His good and perfect gifts. May our gratitude flow continually for every gift and every act of love and kindness. May we stay alert to the enemy’s schemes and never allow our emotions and sinful thinking to trick us into turning away from God.

In the previous verse, James urged his readers not to be deceived. Emotions and sinful thinking can trick us into turning away from God. It’s important to cling to the truth, which is that every good thing in our lives is a gift from God. In the midst of our trials, we are tempted to change our opinion of the trustworthiness of our God. We start to make lists of all the things we think we are missing in our lives, of all of the things we have lost. If God were good, wouldn’t we have those things?

This attitude leads to even more temptation. We begin to look elsewhere for the good things we think we’re missing. “If God won’t provide them,” we think, “we’ll have to go and get them for ourselves.” We attempt to take control. We struggle to find our own satisfaction.

Now, however, James urges us to flip the typical human script. He calls us to make a new list: all the good things we do have. Where did all those good things come from? James is encouraging believers in Christ to tell themselves the truth: God gave you every single good thing in your life. He is the source of all the good you have and all the good you crave. Who God is does not change when our circumstances change. He doesn’t go from being a good God to a bad God when our trials begin. He is still the source of all the good in our lives; He never changes.

Bibleref.com/James 1:17

Reflection and Application

  • What does it mean to remain faithful in hard times?
    • Bibleref.com explains: It means continuing to acknowledge that God is the source of what is good in our lives and what will be good in the future.
  • What else do you think it could mean?

A Challenge

End each day by thinking about, listing out, or simply thanking God for the gifts of grace you saw throughout the day. I write mine in my prayer journal almost every evening. I call them Daily Graces. Let me know if and how you do them.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, prayer, Quiet Time

Continuing On In Focus, Faith, and Prayer

Posted on by MaryEllen

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:12-14

Using the analogy of a runner, Paul teaches us to press on … to continue on by keeping our focus on the goal, which he identifies as “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” He encourages his readers to “forget the past” and keep moving forward by focusing on what we can do today and in the days ahead to live for Christ until we meet with Him ~ whether through death or His return.1

He wrote a similar message to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:14) – telling him to remain faithful, despite the evil that was around him, to continue on in the things he knew to be true, the things of faith which he had learned and been assured of and professed to others.

To the Colossians, he wrote that they were to continue in prayer, to be devoted to it. He wanted those he was writing to understand that prayer was an essential part of their faith and should be a constant in their lives, not just something scheduled for certain times or places. As one commentary explains, “It is meant to be an ongoing dialogue with the Lord.” Paul reiterates this in his letter to the Thessalonians when he tells them to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Paul mentions two important aspects of prayer. First, believers are to be “watchful” in prayer. This carries the idea of standing guard, or staying awake at night to make sure a location is safe. Prayer demands ongoing attention, just like the guard at a city gate. In practical terms, this means prayer is not supposed to be a careless, casual, or frivolous act. We should pray with specific purpose and with deliberate intent. Bibleref.com

John also writes to believers about continuing on in their faith… specifically to keep (continue, remain…) abiding in His love (John 15:9-11) and to abide (continue, remain…) in Him (John 15:4-7). Only when we choose to remain (continue on) in Him will we know the fullness of His joy and bear spiritual fruit for His glory.

Friends, continuing on isn’t always easy. It wasn’t in the days of Paul and John, and it isn’t in the days and times we live in now. Yet it is the calling of Jesus on our lives and the example He (and His disciples) set before us – even to the cross that Christ hung on and the unimaginable deaths that many of His followers faced. – May our God of grace and mercy help us to press on to the “mark of His high calling in Christ Jesus”. May we remember that He has given us everything that we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4) and that through Him nothing is impossible.

Reflection and Application
  • What is the key to pressing (or continuing) on in our faith, even in this sin-infested world?
  • What is the key to remaining in Christ?
  • How can we encourage others to continue on in the faith?
  • What is the prize we press on for?

The More We Know

Know These Truths
  1. adapted in part from Bibleref.com ↩︎