Thank You God for Your knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual understanding.

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 1:9, NKJV- “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;”

I am not sure where I first heard that the teacher learns more than the student or who to credit for this original quote. However, I have found the Word of God and the Spirit of God to be a never-ending fountain of knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual understanding. I have also found that when we study to teach others, we do learn more.

Most all of us have heard that the Bible is the Living Word as it meets us where we are in every moment. As Colossians 1:10 reminds us we can pray to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in our knowledge of God. (NASB)

Just this week, thanks to my dear friend Ken, I was invited to share with a new Celebrate Recovery group, and it was impressed upon me to encourage all in attendance that we are all qualified to share our stories of how God’s light showed up into our darkest places. Here I am two days later, and I am tripping over Colossians 1:12 in hopes of bringing this message to you today, that promises this very thing. I am continually in shock and awe at the timeliness, accuracy, and wisdom of God’s Word and Spirit. Spiritual understanding is light years beyond the understanding held within our craniums.

Colossians 1:13 promises that God rescues us from the dominion of darkness and brings us into the kingdom of Jesus. I need God to continue to fill me with His knowledge and understanding of Jesus. Colossians 1:15 reminds us that Jesus was with God in the beginning of creation. He was not just sent to earth to save us. He was not God’s afterthought, and neither were we.

Colossians 1:15-16 teach us that Jesus is the physical image of an invisible God that was the first born of all creation and that by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible. All things were created through Him and for Him. When was the last time we thanked Jesus for creating all things including us. We were created for Him.

Is Jesus our afterthought? Colossians 1:17 states that Jesus is what holds everything together. We witness a fracturing world that does everything in its power and understanding to exclude Him and thus falls apart. We can begin to bring this world together by acknowledging that Jesus is the head of the body of the church. When we live in Him one person at a time, beginning with ourselves, we begin to build His body. We must be who Jesus created us to be.

Jesus’ physical death reconciled us with God the Father. Our faith and hope in Him will build His church and this world into a body of light over darkness. We can teach others how the God of light blew open the doors of our darkness and filled us with faith and hope of a better world filled with Jesus and His Spirit. As children of the light, we are qualified to share and teach others about His light.

Today’s Prayer: Almighty Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thank You for continuing to teach us. Fill us with Your knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual understanding, LORD. Thank You Jesus for creating us for You and Your body. Teach us to serve You. Help us to walk boldly and confidently in the qualifications and redemption You have given us. Help us to teach others how you have enlightened and saved us. Here I am LORD, use me. Amen.