Daily Devotions - Entries from November 2011

We strive to live purposeful, meaningful, significant lives. Wherever we live, whatever we do, we yearn for life to be more than just eating, sleeping and working. Even Christians often struggle with feelings of doubt; wondering if their lives amount to anything. Into this confusion Paul’s words to the Colossians bring some comfort:

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10)

Oh to live a life considered “worthy of the Lord!” This is what we were created to do! We live for positive affirmation and feedback and Paul says the way to please God is to walk in this manner. But what specifically does that entail?

In this letter Paul draws out two components, “bearing fruit” and “growing.” This is the second time in the first few lines of this letter that Paul has used the phrase “bearing fruit and growing” and there is a definite connection.

“All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you…” (Col.1:6).

“…bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…” (Col. 1:10)

The gospel is at work around the world. God is growing His kingdom. But the impacts of that are felt in our immediate lives. Just as the gospel is at work around the world, re-creating what was lost to the infection of sin, so to the gospel is at work in us, re-creating us from the inside out. The overflow of God’s salvation at work in us is that the Spirit will bear fruit in our lives (Gal. 5:22-23) and we will continue to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God.

Ultimately the path to significance has nothing to do with our work and everything to do with our identity. We are children of the King and the deeper we go in that relationship, the more our lives will glorify God.  

This week we prepare for Pastor Rob’s sermon by continuing our reading in Colossians 1:9-14 (NIV)

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Prayer is without a doubt one of the hardest things that we do as Christians. Which is strange, because there is nothing physically challenging to it, nor is the concept particularly hard to grasp. Yet, despite all of our good intentions, prayer so often eludes us. We read books about it, we think a lot about how we should be doing more of it, we even ask for prayer in being more consistent with it. But the bottom line is that it remains a significant challenge in our lives.

Here in this passage Paul is open about his extensive prayers for the Colossians, saying “we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to…” Even allowing for a little bit of rhetorical flourish on Paul’s part, as we read the content of his prayer it is clear that he is serious about his claim to be praying for them a lot.

If you are struggling with prayer, I suggest you read a fantastic book called, “A Praying Life,” by Paul Miller. This book has helped me to grow in my prayer life more than any other that I’ve read on this topic. And take your first stab at a renewed prayer life right now, by praying for God’s help to pray. If you have children you might even consider praying Paul’s prayer over them. Maybe you have a friend or someone you know who would be encouraged by receiving this same prayer in a hand-written letter.

Don’t let your previous failures with prayer hold you back. Prayer is perhaps the primary way we develop and maintain our relationship with God. So focus less on the activity of prayer itself and more on the Glorious One who longs to connect with you in prayer. 

When it comes right down to it, most of the time we really just don’t give God enough credit. Sure, we thank Him for the food we are about to eat, and for healing our colds, and for solving whatever little problems have been bothering us recently. But our lives are not really built around thankfulness. We acknowledge God a lot, we give Him a tip of our hats, but if we’re honest, a lot of the time our attitude is one of self-sufficiency. “Don’t worry God, I got this one. I’ll call you if I need you.” We have this dreadful tendency to treat him like an aged parent whose advice and guidance we listen to politely but feel like we don’t really need.

So Thanksgiving rolls around again and sometimes we just can’t quite get there. We may feel like it should be a powerful time of remembrance, but struggle to come up with anything to thank Him for.

The best path to thankfulness is through the gospel. We were created to be in perfect relationship with God, but through our own sin that fellowship was lost forever, and sin entered the world. Far from being some abstract theological concept, sin is painfully real and uncomfortably present. It has grown and spread across the globe and throughout time, infecting every single nook and cranny of creation, wreacking havoc wherever it goes; destroying, maiming, killing.

That bad news should drive us to our knees in grief and mourning. For without God there is absolutely no hope whatsoever. No amount of clean living, good deeds or human ingenuity can solve the problem.

But the amazing news, the news that gives us cause for celebration and thanksgiving, is that all is not lost! For, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The sin that separated us from God was paid for once and for all on the cross. It was there that Jesus died to give me life. Even if every single thing in my life is going wrong. Even if every single prayer seems to go unanswered. Even if everyone seems to have abandoned me. There is not one thing in this world that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

As we dig into pie, laugh with family or simply sit on the couch and watch more football, the grace of God revealed to us in Jesus is the single most significant and important piece of news we should be thankful for today.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:3-8)

Today we continue our mini-study on Colossians 1:6-8, quoted below from the NIV:

All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Yesterday we noted the personal aspect of gospel growth, but this growth isn’t simply about the personal—it also spreads out in the immediate context into which God has placed us. That means that if God has blessed you with a family, there is work to be done in seeing the gospel grow and spread and bear fruit within that family.

Parents are to take an active role in discipling their children, teaching them to know, love, worship and obey God. It may sound daunting, but if you need help or guidance in this area, call or email Vance Frusher, our Children’s Pastor. He would love to help you take the next step in discipling your children at home.

Grandparents can likewise have a profound spiritual influence on their grandchildren, aunts and uncles on nieces and nephews, husbands on their wives. The family presents a dense and complex network of relationships that can and should be a fertile ground for spiritual growth and development as we love God personally and seek to see others grow in their love for God as well.

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

 3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, (NASB)

Hope, heaven, and the gospel. As we approach the last verse in this opening section of Paul’s letter we hit a string of theologically heavy words. Is this hope something vague, akin to a wish or general desire for things to be different or better? Or is this hope something more, something deeper and more profound?

Turn forward in your Bible and read 1 Peter 1:1-5. Paul is writing to the Colossians about the same kind of hope Peter would later write about to his audience. It is a hope that is set apart for us in heaven, something permanent, eternal, immovable, unshakeable. A firm ground to stand on, a solid place to live out of.

And how and where did this Gospel come to them? Through the word of truth, the gospel. Paul is about to explain more about the power of the gospel, but for now suffice it to say that this gospel is the source, the beginning of their transformation. Close your time reading this week from Ephesians 1:13-15 and pray again for the Holy Spirit to be similarly at work in you.

1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

 2 We are writing 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.

 3 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. (NLT)

Prayer is a struggle for many, many Christians. It just doesn’t come easily or naturally. And often we feel like failures for not doing it more often. So, Paul probably pulls most of us up short when he says, just three verses into his letter, that he is “always” in prayer for the Colossians. Always! What does that mean? Is he just being nice? Or does he really mean “all the time”? What are the implications for us? Are there any implications for us?

What would it feel like if you were one of the recipients of this letter? I don’t know about you, but I feel greatly encouraged to know that people are praying for me. It’s a blessing to know that there are people who are expressing their care and love in the most significant way possible—through prayer.

But take this one step further. Who is this man who is praying for these brothers and sisters in Christ? What was his attitude previously towards Christians? What brought about such a change? What would did that communicate to the people he was leading?

Close your time today in prayer, thanking God for His work of grace in your life.

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

 2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:

   Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. (NIV 1984)

We tend to skip over introductions in order to get to what we perceive to be “the meat” of the letters, but as we begin our study on the book of Colossians we’re going to take a week to look at these opening verses and their significance for the rest of the book.

Today I suggest you grab a real Bible and flip through the letters that begin right after the Gospels. Read the first few verses of each letter. Write down the common elements. What do these themes and elements tell us about Paul and his co-workers? What do we learn about the way that people communicated in the first century?

Turning specifically to Colossians, what is the specific context in which Paul is writing this particular letter? Who is he writing to and what is the tone of the letter? What sets it apart from Romans or 1 Corinthians?

Take some time today digging through your Bible and/or other resources looking for the answers to these questions. A thorough understanding of the context for this letter will be invaluable as you begin your work interpreting the text. If you need help or suggestions for resources to help you, let us know! We’d love to help you as you embark on this journey into Colossians.

As the title of our series implies, one of the key themes in the book of Colossians is the supremacy of Christ. He is at the center of everything and should infuse every aspect of our lives. As you read through the entire book of Colossians again today, underline or write out on a separate piece of paper some of the key ideas that Paul relates about Jesus. What does Paul say about Jesus? How does Paul elevate Christ in everything? In what areas is God convicting or challenging you to re-focus your attention on Jesus?

Did you read all of Colossians yesterday? Pastor Rob and others will dive into specific passages in the coming weeks and months, but for now we need to have the big picture in mind. So, once again, set these devotionals to one side and go to the source of all wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Spend time reading Colossians. Again, resist the urge to read your study Bible notes and commentary. Simply consume the text as one big letter, and then close in a time of personal prayer and reflection.

We thank Kim Miller—a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book—for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on several verses from Joshua 1:1-9. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

 ¹ After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. . . . ⁵ No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. ⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

When someone undergoes a great loss, we expect them to grieve. Too often, however, we ignore or underestimate the disequilibrium and pain that come from adapting to the transition and change that follow a major trial.

In his book, Pastor Rob talks about the night in a hospital hotel room when he first realized that Carol’s disease had already robbed them of the many simple, everyday pleasures they had enjoyed during their married life. He was grieved over this realization, but he also realized he was being forced to walk through a painful transition to a life without his best friend—a journey he never wanted to take.

Even good changes can cause anxiety. For instance, Joshua was charged with leading the Israelites through a major transition—entry into the Promised Land—just after Moses’ death. After wandering for forty years in the wilderness, one might expect Joshua to be charged up to lead the Israelites into this land of milk and honey.

Notice, however, the Lord’s command to him: “Be strong and very courageous.” Notice too that he didn’t say this once, but three times. Humanly speaking, the idea of defeating the Canaanites, who outnumbered the Israelites, seemed daunting. In fact, like all change, this major move would be hard. Joshua had to face that reality; yet he could also rest in God’s promise to go with them and give them victory.

Change is difficult; no wonder then that change also requires faith in the God who can do the impossible. Scripture, in fact, is full of God’s promises to be with us, to fight for us, to redeem us. Because God is constantly faithful, we can relax in the knowledge that God never changes and nothing takes Him by surprise. Just consider His promise to Joshua: ^“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. . . .  No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (vv. 3, 5).

A few verses later, God reveals the secret of successful change: “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” Don’t make the mistake of assuming our heavenly Father is asking us simply to memorize a list of dos and don’ts, however. He added, “Do not let this Book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (vv. 7-8).

As Pastor Rob explains, our anchor in change is the Word of God. Yes, we must obey God and trust Him, but that will be possible only as we spend time in God’s Word. Pastor Rob writes, “Over and over I have told our church that it’s not so much what you do in the moment of crisis that determines how you will come out of it, it’s what you do in the months and years leading up to it.”^[1]

You are either in the midst of a major transition now or you will face one at some point. Either way, don’t neglect your time in God’s Word. It will comfort you in trials and build the faith and confidence you need to survive any change that will come. Don’t fear transitions; be strong and courageous, knowing God stands with you!

Heavenly Father,

When change comes, my temptation may be to recklessly charge ahead or cower in fear. Instead, I pray that Your Spirit would remind me to turn to You and Your Word. Each morning, as daily pressures and worries press in on me, draw me to your Word, which offers hope and help, and which is my anchor in times of change.

In Christ’s name,

Amen.

We thank Kim Miller—a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book—for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on Job 2:11-13. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

¹¹When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. . . . ¹²When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. ¹³Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

Most of us long to reach out and comfort grieving friends, coworkers, or family members, but fear often holds us back. What if we do something wrong and make the situation worse? As a result we often stay away or suggest they, “call us if they need anything.”

Job’s friends may have been wrong about a lot of things, but their initial response to his suffering was spot on. As soon as they heard about his misfortune, they visited Job so they could express their sympathy directly. While we wouldn’t wail, tear our clothes, and throw dust in the air as they did, such actions were common expressions of grief in Job’s day.

What did Job’s friends say? Apparently they remained silent for the first seven days, the standard period of mourning following a death or disaster. Instead of talking, they simply sat with Job, offering the comfort of their presence. They didn’t try to lighten things up by telling jokes or try to comfort him by offering platitudes about God’s perfect will. No, they just made sure he wasn’t alone.

Thousands of years later, when urging the Romans to really love one another, the apostle Paul suggested a similar approach: “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. . . . Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:10, 15, NLT). When we want others to know that we hurt for them, the most powerful thing we can do is sit with them, walk with them, or perhaps even hug them.

Several years ago, one man did that in a most remarkable way. After a milk deliveryman opened fire on several young girls in a one-room Amish schoolhouse before killing himself, the Amish community rallied around the gunman’s family. One of the most stirring reports to emerge: that of an Amish neighbor who reportedly held the gunman’s sobbing father in his arms for an hour. There’s no record of words being exchanged; just of a man entering the pain of a father who’d lost his son.

In his book, Pastor Rob calls this “listening with the heart” and the “ministry of presence.” He recalls how comforted he was by friends who came to the hospital in Houston to sit with him. They didn’t say much; they simply let Rob and Carol know they weren’t alone. And when Rob needed to talk, they really listened to what he was saying from his heart.

If you’re grieving today, are you willing to let those who know you best comfort you just by being there? If you push them away, you may miss out on one means God has arranged to bring you a sense of peace. If you know someone in deep pain, have you allowed fear or discomfort to keep you away? If so, ask God to help you discern how best to communicate your care and concern to that person—whether through a visit, a phone call, or even a simple card or e-mail.

Lord Jesus,

The night before Your crucifixion, You asked a few of Your closest friends to sit with You while You prayed. That tells me that You understand how much we need each other when we’re hurting. Please help me to accept the comfort others may extend to me today. And if I’m the one who needs to reach out to a grieving friend or family member, I ask that You help me offer the ministry of my presence in a way that truly comforts him or her. Use my actions to remind them of Your great love and concern for them too.

In Your name,

Amen.