December 3 – Colossians 1:3-13, 24-29
Jesus, our Savior King, we praise You for You are Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!!!! We thank You for You secure our peace! We fall before You in worship and adoration. Draw near to us, Lord of all.
While reading this passage, I let out a breath of “I love You, God.” This hope in salvation, passed down through the generations, was made perfect with Jesus’ birth. The birth to crush the serpent. To tear the veil. To fulfill the promise made. The birth that would allow for adoption. The hope of salvation and redemption at the ready for all those years to God’s chosen people. And now we Gentiles have access to that same hope, too! We have hope in what is not seen! God’s truth has been passed down through generations so that we who have not witnessed Jesus in real life can still have that hope. We can see God working. We have God’s word as a witness to Jesus. The birth, once hidden and set aside while surrounded by barn animals of God’s own creation… wow!
Oftentimes, God does the most miraculous in the most quietest of ways. The sheer awesome power it takes to make something that is so huge, to be so small and quiet, what power! His birth could have shattered the world with its power. It could have swallowed up the universe! It didn’t. It was done quietly and shown only to a select group of people and creation. I mean, just the fact that God did it in a way that also included his own creation, the barn animals, to witness it. Wow! Because nature and earth groan for redemption, too! So much so that if we humans collectively did not worship Him, the rocks would cry out (Luke 19:40).
Do you know that God? That God who cares so deeply for His creation, even the bitty ants upon the ground. Do you know that God, whose power is so great that He held back the full glory of His Son while He was on earth? Do you know that God? Because He knows you. That God is calling your name. There is a place for you at His table.
My Verse: “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27
My Response: Oh, long awaited Savior, I need to really start seeing what big things You are doing in small ways. I need to be a witness to all that You are doing so that others may come to know the Jesus of hope. It always goes back to the beginning, doesn’t it? Back to the start of creation, back to the birth, back to the resurrection. At each point, move forward onto the next looking back point. But always looking to Hope. In John 8:58, it is written, “Jesus said to them, ‘truly truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” Yahweh. And in Ephesians 1:18, it says that You call us to Hope. You want us to know Hope. You want us not to be hopeless and lost. You want us to hold onto Hope, find rest in Hope, and have comfort in Hope. What a gift You have given us. Blessed be Your name, oh God my Father.
Further Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23
What’s next?
As the Spirit leads, share what He has laid on your heart in the comment section below. Then join us again tomorrow for the next commentary.
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Sharon’s morning thoughts: Oh Melissa, I loved meditating with you on this thought: “Oftentimes, God does the most miraculous in the most quietest of ways.” Thank you for helping me “see” the story in a new way, today. ❤ My verse: Colossians 1:9 “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.” ❤ My response: Father, I learn so much from Your servant, Paul! First of all … his HOPE in You enables him to “not stop praying” for he knows You work through our prayers in beautiful and often mysterious ways. And what a prayer! Yes, please. Give me and those I love complete knowledge of Your perfect will. How we need Your wisdom and understanding in the choices we make!