The Appearance of Wisdom

 Scripture:

“Even though they have the appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship and false humility achieved by an unsparing treatment of the body – a wisdom with no true value – they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Paul writes to the Colossians about their works-based righteousness. In this text, he talks about doing things to look spiritual. These things appear to have wisdom, but are self-imposed and demonstrate false humility. He says this is a wisdom with no true value. He uses the words, “an unsparing treatment of the body.” 

Application:

Any works we do in order to get God’s favor, really get us nowhere. It can look very spiritual to fast, pray, and destroy the flesh by every means, but it usually just brings attention to the one doing it and not to God. These things we need to do, but we must do them with the right heart. Our heart in fasting and prayer should be that Christ would be glorified in and through our lives, not to make God to what we want Him to do. We can’t twist God’s arm by mutilating our bodies. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to walk this walk with You every day. Teach me to be disciplined without being overly legalistic. Show me how to balance legalism and righteousness. Lead me by Your Spirit into all truth. I want to serve Your purposes in my generation. Help me to reflect You more and more as I grow older. You are my focus and the joy of my life.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Christ in You the Hope of Glory

 Scripture:

“God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Paul is writing to the Colossians here and tells them about the incredible mystery of the Gentiles, which is Christ in us, the hope of glory. We, as Gentiles, have been given access to God through Christ Jesus. We have been grafted in as adopted by the Father. Now, by faith, Christ lives in us. Literally, the hope of glory lives in us now.

Application:

If Christ lives in me, then my life should resemble the life of Christ. I should be doing the things He did while He walked the earth. This idea is a great mystery and full of glorious riches. We have access to God, not through obligations, rules, and ceremonies, but because of the precision blood of Jesus. If Christ is in me, I don’t want to do anything to cause Him shame or reproach. I want to live a life worth Him dying for.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank You for adopting me into Your family. Thank You for the great mystery You have given to the Gentiles. Help me to live a life that reflects what Jesus died to give us. Teach me to walk in Your ways and to finish the work of Christ. Let my life be an offering to You each and every day. Help me to live effectively and build Your kingdom with every breath. I am Yours!

Forever,

Jeff

Stand Still and Consider

 Scripture:

““Pay attention to this, Job! Stand still and consider the wonders God works.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭37‬:‭14‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

This word is from Job’s friend Elihu. He tells his friend to stand still and consider the wonders of God’s work. This phrase stood out to me as something valuable to do at times. We should ponder the works of God and think about the things He has done.

Application:

It is good to think upon the goodness of God and to meditate on His word and His works. I need to spend more time contemplating my walk with the creator of the universe. What He has done in my life has been nothing short of incredible and I should think more often of all He has done. It is good to reflect on God.

Prayer:

Father, help me to slow down enough to meditate on You. Teach me to stand still and consider the wonders You work. Help me to be a disciplined thinker. I want to know You more each day. Take me deeper in my walk with You. You are incredible!

Your Son,

Jeff

Fear God and Run from Evil

 Scripture:

“And he said to mankind, ‘The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”” ‭‭Job‬ ‭28‬:‭28‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Job reminds us that the fear of the Lord is wisdom and turning from evil is understanding. The best life is one that flows in wisdom and understanding, neither of them is possible without God, who is the source of both. The short of this verse is simply that wisdom and understanding come from a strong pursuit of the Lord.

Application:

Wisdom and understanding will take us to good places in life. The source, and what we must seek, is the fear of the Lord and turning from evil things. When we do our part, God does His because we are in a covenant. We need the fear of God back in our lives, which causes us to turn from evil things. We have declared God’s love so much that we have lost our fear of God. We need a healthy fear of God that causes us to repent of things that He wants us to.

Prayer:

God Almighty, You are awesome and I worship You. Help me to walk in the fear of the Lord at all times. Let my life reflect Your ways. Cleanse me and purify me I pray, from anything that displeases You. Help me to serve You well in my generation. Pour out Your Spirit on this missions trip in Dominican Republic and let Your will be accomplished.

Yours,

Jeff

Follow His Steps

 Scripture:

“My feet have followed his steps closely; I have kept to his way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my allotted portion.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭23‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Job is determined that he has done nothing wrong. He way confident in his righteousness. He knew all along that he had not sinned or done anything wrong. He says that he had treasured God’s words more than his allotted portion. 

Application:

We should live our lives knowing that we are innocent of anything that could be spoken against us. Integrity gives you confidence in your walk with God. When we know we have lived a good life and done what the Lord wants us to do, we can be bold and confident in our walk with Him. We need to live lives that are above reproach in every area. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of something, we should deal with it quickly.

Prayer:

Father, help me to follow You completely and to do Your will at all times. Let my life for used for Your glory and never bring a reproach on Your name. Help me to live a life worth following for those who look up to me. Teach me to walk in humility and sensitivity to Your voice. Move powerfully here today in the DR and let many come to Christ.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

My Redeemer Lives

 Scripture:

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that as the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God,” ‭‭Job‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Job understood what he was going through more than his friends thought he did. He understood that he hadn’t done anything to deserve what he was going through. He knew his situation would turn around if he could just hold onto God. He knew his redeemer lives and that he would see God one day, no matter what was currently happening in his life.

Application:

We need to always know seep in our hearts where we are in our relationship with God. We need confidence in God and our salvation. We can only have that confidence when we are sure of our walk with God. The beauty is that we can have assurance and confidence in our God and in His word. He will do what He says He will do and we can have confidence in that. 

Prayer:

Father, You are the best and I worship You. You brought me into Your family and blessed my life. Help me to follow You well and to walk in confidence every day. Teach me Your word. Show my things and teach me to obey You completely. I want to fulfill Your will in every area of my life. I know my redeemer lives and he will stand on the earth! Bless our Dominican Republic trip this week as we do our best to extend Your kingdom.

Yours,

Jeff

The Awesomeness of God

 Scripture:

“He makes nations great, and destroys them; he extends the boundaries of nations and disperses them.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭12‬:‭23‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Job has a lot to say about who God is and how He works among people. In this verse he says that God makes nations great and He destroys them. He attributes extending and contracting the boundaries of nations to the Lord. Job saw the awesomeness of God in everything. He gave God credit for everything that happens in this world. 

Application:

I need to see God’s handiwork more and be in awe. It is easy to leave God out of the picture in certain things. There are times when we feel like we make things happen, but without God, we are sunk. We must give Him credit where credit is due. God takes care of the big things and the little things. He oversees nations, yet is concerned with every sparrow. He is incredible.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, I humble myself before You. You are great and You are awesome! Your ways are above my ways and Your thoughts are above my thoughts. Help me to see Your hand in every area of my life. As I go take the Good News to the Dominican Republic, guide my steps and use my life for Your glory. Touch many lives this week as we go on mission for You.

Yours Always,

Jeff