April 27, 2024
Pastor Darin Youngberg
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Daily Bread
Posted on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 by Bro_D
Daily Bread January 31, 2018
Colossians 1:11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
Such a short little verse …. BUT …. Packed with great promise and wisdom! Starting with the first few words – the offering of the opportunity to be strengthened …. WITH ALL POWER! Not just some power… but all power! In our home, we have a saying about words like “all”, “everything” & “always” – we call them BIG words. Those words usually get used out of context – like – “I ALWAYS have to do EVERYTHING around here!”. Really, everything …. Always? Of course, that can’t be true – but, it gets said. They are big words with very little meaning.
NOT HERE! Paul (inspired by God – so it’s really God who) says the opportunity is real – to be strengthened with ALL power. That means there is nothing in this world or not of this world that could destroy the one strengthened with ALL power! That sounds awesome to me. Where does this power come from? Listen to John as he writes to the Church -- 1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. No matter the trial thrown at the believer, the One who is in the believer is so far superior to the one in the world – no contest, not even close…. Not even in the same category. Jesus Christ has overcome the world! Therefore, we can have --- note that please… “can have” great confidence and courage no matter where we find ourselves. “Can have”… there is the opportunity to “not have” or better expressed as “missed out on”. Both Paul and John are writing to the church to both remind and instruct – one doesn’t remind or have to instruct someone who is already putting something into practice!
How might one start putting these things into practice? Paul tells us …. Colossians 2:6-8 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, (7) rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (8) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Simply put, we gotta be rooted in the Word of God – that’s what he taught them… the Word of God. When we have the Word of God inscribed on our hearts, when we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds we will be able to test everything against the Word of God and know what is true and acceptable verses what is empty & false. Too often I’ve seen too many folks miss out ….. simply because they will not root themselves in God’s Word. Sure, they may post of few Scripture memes on social media, sure they may hand the Word of God on the walls in their homes, but there is no foundation of Truth in their heart – they have bought into the empty philosophies of human traditions. Social media memes and wall hangings have no power. The power is the One who lives inside! Be strong in the LORD and in the strength of His might, put on the whole armor of God and you will be able to stand against the enemy and ALL of his lies!