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Colossians 1:9-14 Devotional – Walking in the Lord

Colossians 1:9-14 – Walking in the Lord

The prayers in Paul’s prison letters are certainly unique. To begin with, he prays for others and not for himself. The requests in his prayers center on spiritual blessings, not on material or physical matters. Of course, it is not wrong to pray about physical or material needs. But spiritual needs are vastly more important.

How would you pray for a group of people you had never seen? Paul’s prayer for the Colossian Christians in verses 9-12 are a model for us. As soon as he heard of the new faith of the Colossians, he began interceding with God for them, asking Him to give them knowledge, wisdom, strength, and joy. He prayed that the new believers at Colosse would grow into Christian maturity so that they might walk before God, pleasing Him and producing good works. All that Paul knew about the believers in Colossae was what he learned from their faithful pastor, Epaphras. Paul knew of the false teaching that was threatening the church, so he centered his praying on that problem. In his prayer, Paul made three requests. He prayed for spiritual intelligence (v. 9), practical obedience (v. 10), and moral excellence (vv. 11-12).

Humanities greatest problem is sin—a problem that can never be solved by a philosopher or a religious teacher. Sinners need a Saviour. Verses 13-14 present a vivid picture of the four saving actions of Christ on our behalf. He delivered us (13a), transferred (or translated) us (13b), redeemed us (14a), and has forgiven us (14b).

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (ESV)

Key Takeaways:

  • A believer’s strength comes from God alone which produces great endurance and patience (v. 11)
  • For those who believe, Christ has delivered you, transferred you (to the kingdom of light), redeemed you, and forgiven you (vv. 13-14)
  • We should walk to please God (v. 10)

Closer Look:

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April 23 Quarantine Devotional – Psalm 19

APRIL 23 – PSALM 19

GOD’S LAW IS PERFECT

Today, we continue our series by focusing on God. Psalm 19 is a classic psalm about the beauty, majesty, glory, and perfection of the Lord. There is so much information about God in this psalm. The psalmist gives us a great model of how we can praise God and remember who He is and what He has done. It shows us that the Bible and Christianity is not just a series of rules or laws, but is a life-giving, fruit-bearing, and restoring life. A relationship with God is vital and restores us and refreshes us. It helps us in our daily lives as well as endure this long marathon, especially during prolonged trials and tribulations.

We have looked at Psalm 19 before in discussing Hebrew parallelism, but this time we will focus on meditating on God.

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Key Takeaways:

  • All of creation including the heavens reveals God’s glory and majesty
  • The Law was not a burden to believers who were trying to please God with their lives. For David, keeping God’s statutes, which warned him of the dangers of folly and sin, brought reward.
  • God is our Redeemer who purchased our freedom from any bondage or slavery to sin
Read More »April 23 Quarantine Devotional – Psalm 19