Colossians
Thursday, June 17, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of Your power through the Holy Spirit! I pray that You will fill me anew right now with Your Holy Spirit that I may think, say and do the things that will serve to advance Your kingdom. Give me that patience and endurance, which I will need to live boldly and confidently for You when life doesn’t seem to be progressing as quickly as I think it should. Fill me with Your joy and thanksgiving every moment. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
Colossians 1:7-14
7Epaphras, our much loved co-worker, was the one who brought you the Good News. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us in your place. 8He is the one who told us about the great love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.
9So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. 10Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.
11We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, 12always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God’s holy people, who live in the light. 13For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. 14God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins.
Reflecting on God’s Word
How have you thanked Jesus for rescuing you from the power of the devil?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
What name does Paul give to the devil in today’s Scripture reading? (1:13)
What kingdoms are competing for our allegiance according to today’s Scripture? (1:13)
As followers of Jesus in what Kingdom are we in RIGHT NOW? (1:13)
Understanding God’s Word
What does today’s reading tell us about spiritual warfare?
Why do you suppose Paul doesn’t simply call the devil by name in today’s Scripture?
Applying God’s Word to Our Lives
What is the most important application of today’s reading to your life right now?
Thoughts...He Has Rescued Us!
In today’s reading Paul makes it clear that God has RESCUED us from the kingdom of darkness—from the devil—and has brought us into the Kingdom of His own dear Son! What a gift. We are born into the kingdom of darkness. By virtue of being descendants of Adam and Eve, we are born into a world overcome by sin and death. Thank God, he decided to do something about it! He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to rescue us. Interesting that Paul tells us that it is God, the Father, who is the rescuer and who brings us into the Kingdom of His own dear son, Jesus! When we think of the one who rescues us from sin and death we typically think of Jesus, since He is the one who died on the cross for us! Paul reminds us that they ware one in the same—God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are ONE God, eternal in the heavens. We don’t want to forget that truth and divide God into three “parts.” Today’s reading helps us to see that we are, indeed, part of God’s great plan for salvation, and that we may rely on Him to give us the strength to live each day, and to rescue us from every situation of need!