Colossians
Tuesday, June 8, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving me the joys of heaven to look forward to as I live my daily live. Thank You for making me aware that in spite of pain, difficulty, dead ends and delays, that You provide an eternal reward for me and for all who trust in Jesus as we live out our daily lives. I pray that You will bring deliverance in my life today where there are delays, difficulties and dead ends. I ask You to glorify Yourself in my life, by filling me with the Holy Spirit and giving me the grace to live fully and faithfully for You. I pray this in the name of Jesus, my risen Savior and Lord. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
Colossians 1:1-6
1This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.
2It is written to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.
May God our Father give you grace and peace.
3We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4for we have heard that you trust in Christ Jesus and that you love all of God’s people. 5You do this because you are looking forward to the joys of heaven—as you have been ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. 6This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is changing lives everywhere, just as it changed yours that very first day you heard and understood the truth about God’s great kindness to sinners.
Reflecting on God’s Word
What are some of the joys of heaven that you are looking forward to experiencing one day?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
What is the reason that the Colossian Christians trust Jesus and love all of God’s people? (1:4-5)
When did the Colossian Christians start looking forward to the joys of heaven? (1:5)
What characteristics does the Good News of Jesus have for our lives according to today’s Scripture? (1:5)
Understanding God’s Word
What role does the promise of heaven play in our lives as Jesus’ followers?
Why do you think that Paul made looking forward to the joys of heaven such a central focus of his teaching?
Applying God’s Word to Our Lives
What is the most important application of today’s Scripture reading in your life right now?
Thoughts...Looking Forward to the Joys of Heaven...
The Apostle Paul constantly looked forward to the joys of heaven, and urged believers in the churches he started to do the same? Why did Paul emphasize heaven so frequently and consistently? One of the chief reasons is that living the Christian life in the first century often led to great pain and difficulty—even death! To be a Christian was to be ridiculed, imprisoned, tortured and executed. In some regions when a person accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord they were disowned by family members, and disassociated from the community. In such circumstances the joys of heaven seemed preferable to the realities of life here on earth. The same was true among the slaves here in America, and IS true in many locations on our planet right now, where to be a Christian is to be subjected to imprisonment and martyrdom. Here in America, are lives of relative ease can distract us from the profound truth that the joys of heaven make this life pale by comparison. We will all spend far more time in God’s presence than here in this life. Therefore, let’s also remember the joys of heaven daily!