Dec 13 2024

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

In this verse, Paul tells the church in Colossae how to respond to people who do not have a relationship with Jesus. They are to walk wisely, redeeming the time, meaning they should make the most of the time they have with non-believers to encourage them to consider turning their lives to Christ. This verse applies to our modern-day lives in a number of ways.

For instance, one aspect of walking wisely amidst people who don't yet acknowledge Jesus as God is to be holy in those interactions. In other words, we should never condescend or act like we are superior to them because we don't fall into some of the sins that they do. When we remember that we are who we are only because of the grace of God—rather than anything we have done—we will be saved from having an arrogant attitude toward other people. We will be able to see others exactly as we are: unmerited beneficiaries of God's grace.

We should remember that our lives are a witness to the power of God. Every person who has a relationship with the Lord is a miracle because none of us is naturally wired to surrender our lives to Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, and the way we treat other people shows what we believe about God. If we are repeatedly unkind or disdainful, we are conveying a belief that God has favorites—that He loves us and cares about some people more than others, which is not true.

But if we are consistently kind, eager to show mercy, and willing to love even when it is difficult, we are showing Godliness—because those qualities define Him. In this way, our daily errands or whatever menial tasks we do become opportunities for us to walk in the wisdom of the Lord.

Dear Lord, help me to walk in wisdom throughout all of my encounters. Help me to remember that where I am in my relationship with you is the result of your grace alone. Help me to follow after you as I pursue relationships and seek to redeem my time by seeking out opportunities to further your kingdom. I love you, Jesus. In your name, amen.

Dec 12 2024

The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. :

In this verse, we learn that the Lord always hears the prayers of the righteous, while the Lord is far from the wicked. There are many things we can learn from this statement.

The first is that prayer is a privilege. To hear from God, we must be righteous. This doesn't mean we live sinlessly, but rather, that Jesus's blood is the perfect covering for our sin. God is holy, and the only prayer He will respond to from someone who doesn't know Him is a prayer for salvation&mdah;a prayer for Jesus's blood to cover sin.

The second thing we can learn is that there is a benefit to being righteous. Prayer is a reward that we get for walking in communion with the Lord. It is the channel through which we are able to communicate with Him and hear Him speak back to us. It is a blessing for us to be able to come before God and share with Him our hearts—the things that grieve us, our fears, our emotions, and our excitement about good things. Prayer is where we build a relationship with the Lord—a privilege that is only open to people who have trusted in Him with their lives.

Thirdly, we can be certain that God hears our prayers. It's a good idea to confess and repent of any sin in your life at the beginning of your prayers so there is nothing between you and the Lord. Sin blocks our ability to listen and respond to the Lord, but if we pray for forgiveness at the beginning of our prayers, we will be able to pray as He has intended for us to. Afterward, we can be certain that the Lord will respond to our prayers.

It can be difficult sometimes to believe that the Lord is listening to our prayers—especially when what we're praying for seems to never happen. Sometimes it feels like our prayers are hitting the ceiling. But this is never a true picture of what is happening, and we can combat our feelings with the truth of God's Word... He hears the prayers of the righteous.

Dear Lord, I thank you so much for always hearing my prayers and responding to them. I thank you that you care about every word that I utter and that nothing escapes your notice. Help me to rest in you, knowing that you have never forgotten a single prayer I have prayed. Reveal to me unconfessed sin so that I can rid myself of any uncleanness in my heart. I look to you, Lord, and thank you for the ability to pray. In Jesus' name, amen.