Seeds for 1/10/2023 - Colossians 1:10a
Scripture: “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 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, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 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.” [This sentence is rather long, so we’ll give it more than one day.]
Observation: Again, Paul and Timothy are praying for the Colossian Christians as the letter begins that they may have knowledge of God’s will—something we all claim to desire. The way they get it is by the Spirit’s gifts of wisdom and understanding (we addressed that yesterday). Let’s talk about the reason today.
Why do we want to know God’s will? We’re often interested in knowing God’s will so we can know how to handle a difficult decision or so we can gain a sense of stability despite the chaos of life. In short, we want to know God’s will in order to soothe our anxiety—to make our decisions for us and to calm us down when we feel stressed. Maybe the purpose of knowing God’s will is more about character and calling than a blueprint for life. An architect has a blueprint. A coach has a game plan and a goal. In a game, we have to focus (1) on ourselves—our skills, abilities, what kind of person we’re going to be, and (2) on our objective—the purpose of playing the game in the first place.
In this case, the reason to know God’s will is so we can live God’s way. The gift of knowing God’s will allows us to offer a gift back to Him. We give back to God a life that displays trust, gratitude, faithfulness, hope, and love for Him.
Application: How might I desire God’s will for His sake more than for my sake? What can I do today to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him”—not to earn His love, but out of gratitude?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being pleased to offer me salvation in Christ. Help me offer you my life today as a gift that is pleasing to you. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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