Verse: Colossians 1:9-12
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and 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, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
Devotion
I love lists. There is something so satisfying about making a list, and then methodically checking it off. I enjoy going to the grocery store mostly for this reason. I make a list in the Notes app, and then as I go around the store I get to click the little round buttons and then they satisfyingly drop to the bottom of the list. It’s amazing.
You know who else seems to really like lists? Paul. I get really excited when I’m reading the Bible and I stumble upon one of his many lists. It’s like finding treasure! Check out this list.
First he sets it up by saying that he’s praying for God to fill them with the “knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.” He is praying they would be filled with the deep understanding of God’s will. Why? (Get ready, here comes the list!)
The overall answer to why he wants them to know God’s will is so that they may life a “life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.” Sounds good right? I’d like that, and I’m sure you would too. Here’s what that looks like:
- bearing fruit in every good work
- growing in the knowledge of God
- being strengthened with all power
- giving joyful thanks to the Father
I love how its all connected. Living a life worthy of God means bearing fruit, knowing God more, living by God’s power and not our own, and remaining thankful for the salvation God has given us. I know there is more to following Jesus than just those four things, but sometimes it’s nice to just boil things down to a list and meditate on that.
And this is the point of the journey isn’t it? The more I know his will, the more fruit I produce. The more I have wisdom about his will, the more power I have to live life to the full. The more I understand his will for my life, the more I will grow in understanding him.
God has so much more for us. Let’s not settle for just scratching the surface. Let’s keep seeking to know him more, and in turn, for our lives to be changed!
Author: Christian Dunn
Recent Comments