Colossians 3:16 - How To Let The Word Of Christ Dwell In You Richly.
Colossians 3:16 - How To Let The Word Of Christ Dwell In You
Richly.
Colossians 3:16 (NKJV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to
the Lord.
Colossians 3:16 (AMP) Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the
Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in
[all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another
in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things,
and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody
to God with [His] grace in your hearts.
We have all been given one great choice: how we will live our
lives. We can live them "our way," as Frank Sinatra sang. Trouble is,
on our own, we lack the resources and understanding we need to
avoid disaster. Most of us find that out the hard way. Or we can live
our lives according to society's norms and expectations. That sounds
good, but aligning ourselves with the naturally evil hearts of men is
also fraught with danger and disaster.
There is another option, however. One that is sure to work in
our favor. We can choose to align ourselves with God and live our
lives his way.
God instituted a plan for each of us long before we were
born, and he has given us the gifts and insights we need to follow
that plan successfully. He has guaranteed our success before we even
start.
To find God's will for our lives, we must spend time alone
with him. Even Jesus spent much time praying and listening for his
Father's voice so he could carry out the mission for which he was sent.
He made conscious contact with God, and we must do the same. God
must be more than a concept to us.
Conscious contact with God begins in his Word - his love
letter to us. In its pages, we find his will for us and learn how to
make right choices.
Father, thank you for the care you took in giving me all I
need to live a successful life. I want to be all you created me to
be. In Jesus' name, Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by
John & Johnny Baker]
Heaven is full of God's voice. Angels obey the sound of His
voice, worship Him, bask in His glory, and proclaim His will.
Multitudes declare His goodness around His throne. No one in heaven needs
to sort out the voices to determine which is from God and which is
not. No one questions what His purposes are. It's an openly
God-saturated environment.
Here in our realm, however, things aren't as clear. Lies
swirl around us, discouragement and fear and unholy agendas seem to
dominate the atmosphere, and most people have a hard time telling which
end is up. We strive to find truth and meaning, live purposeful
lives, and have healthy relationships, but we often find ourselves
confused and disillusioned. Yes, we Jesus followers cling to the truth
that has been revealed, but we struggle desperately to apply it to
the difficult situations in our lives. Our environment is not nearly
as heavenly as we want it to be.
The words of Colossians 3:16 can make an enormous difference.
Many of us say we want to hear God's voice, but then we fill our
hearts and minds with things that would never fit in a heavenly
environment. We want the clarity of heaven, but take deep breaths of the
polluted air of the world. We willingly tune in to mixed signals and then
complain about not being able to discern God's voice.
If we want the clarity of heaven in our lives, we need to
saturate ourselves with heaven's atmosphere. Our spirits will be much
more sensitive to God's voice when we've surrounded ourselves with
the things His voice inspires. Worship-saturated, glory-permeated
souls hear God more often and more clearly than those steeped in
unholy messages.
Jesus, I know I'm thoroughly in the world, but You never
meant for me to be influenced by it. Please, I need tastes of heaven -
even full banquets - that will open my soul to Your voice. Help me
fill my atmosphere with Your words and songs. [The One Year Hearing
His Voice Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
What are the benefits of Scripture meditation? They are
beyond telling. Here, however, are just some of the benefits the Bible
offers to those of us who will take the time to meditate: (1) success -
Joshua 1:8, (2) understanding - Psalm 119:99, (3) the ability to wisely
discern between right and wrong - Psalm 119:11.
But the one that is most pivotal occurs in Psalm l -
spiritual freshness. This psalm makes it clear that one of the secrets of
staying spiritually fresh is to send one's roots down into the Word of
God by meditation.
In my teens I knew a man, a miner by trade, whose spiritual
freshness and radiance were responsible for turning many people to Jesus
Christ. Just before he died, and in the company of several other
Christians, I asked him: "What is the secret of your spiritual freshness?
You always seem to be on top of things, always radiant. Tell me how
you maintain this inner poise and power." He replied in one word -
meditation.
I pressed him for some further thoughts on the subject. This
is not a verbatim quotation, but as far as I can remember, this is
what he said: "Meditation is letting your heart become the workshop
of the unseen Sculptor who chisels in its secret chambers the
living forms that contribute to character development and an increasing
likeness to Jesus Christ." That old man, now in heaven, was one of the
greatest illustrations I have ever known of the spiritual freshness and
fruitfulness that comes from meditating on God's Word. His experience can be
ours - if we meditate.
O Father, help me to master the art of Scripture meditation,
so that through the written Word and by the meditated Word, those
around me may see the Living Word. Amen [Every Day With Jesus Bible
with Selwyn Hughes devotional re Psa. 39:3]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20101007-1310.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDY:
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
LINKS FOR PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
http://www.lastdayofprophecy.com/
[March 21-26, 2016: Charlotte, NC in person with live streaming
and multiple outreach locations]
Revelation Today by Pastor John Bradshaw:
https://revelationtoday.com/other-streams/
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
