Thursday, October 8

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015

Jeremiah 10:1–11:23

Colossians 3:18–4:18

Psalm 78:56–72

Proverbs 24:28,29

 

 

“Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings.  He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.  I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.” (Colossians 4:12,13)

 

 

Sometimes, we may have the tendency to breeze through these closing sections to Paul’s letters, as the remarks mainly involved greetings to and from various people in the early ministry or in these early churches.  This verse above from today’s reading struck me, however, as an encouraging reflection on both Epaphras’s example and his prayer objective.

 

Epaphras clearly worked hard in the Lord, serving both his native Colossians through prayer but also making disciples in Laodicea and Hierapolis.  Paul calls out his devotion to God’s work.

 

Digging into his prayer objective – “that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully      m    assured” – it is helpful to reflect on how God may bring about these characteristics in our lives:

 

1.       “Stand firm in all the will of God.”  Along with the church at Colosse, we may grow in giving Christ the pre-eminence in our lives.  We trust Him and experience His goodness by standing firm in God’s will, which will lead to our growth and best interests. 

 

On two separate occasions, both Moses and Jehosophat encouraged the Israelites to “stand firm and see the deliver the Lord will bring you.”  In the same manner, Christ-followers may stand firm today; Paul encouraged the Corinthians to find strength to do so in view of the solid hope of the Resurrection.

 

2.       “Mature.”  Paul includes two modifiers for this action of “standing firm in all the will of God”:  that we would be “mature” and “assured.”   The maturity of which he speaks does not stem from our internal goodness, but rather from God’s refining of our character.  He brings discipline and trials into our lives but never leaves us nor forsakes us.  In this way, He conforms us into the image of Christ, that we may live for His glory (Romans 8:28,29).

 

Psalm 1:2,3 describes the mature person as one “whose delight is in the law of the Lord,./ and who meditates on his law day and night.”  As a result, this “person is like a tree planted by streams of water,/ which yields its fruit in season/ and whose leaf does not wither --/ whatever they do prospers.”  The mature person bears fruit from his or her rootedness to the True Vine, Jesus Christ.  Without that connection, we can do “noting.” (John 15:5)

 

 

3.       “Assured.”  Trusting God lies at the heart of following Him.  We cannot really see transformation in our lives if we are unwilling to commit to His purposes for our lives.

 

Psalm 33:11 encourages us:  “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,/ the purposes of his heart through all generations.”  We understand from the Scriptures that God is committed to bringing His people into closer communion with Him, fitting them more into the image of Christ, and bringing glory and praise to His Name.  As we join Him in these purposes, we find joy and confidence in our rootedness with Christ.

 

 

Lord God, thank You for giving us the opportunity to stand firm in Your promises.  Strengthen us for the road ahead and bring us to maturity.  Assure us of Your lovingkindness towards us.  We love You and thank You for never leaving us nor forsaking us.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

________________________________________
1) Blog:                  http://bit.ly/rV1Cw1

2) Facebook:        http://on.fb.me/tc6jkS