365 Days with God - Day 129: Things I Skim Over

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 129, April 28, 2014

Readings: Psalm 128, Numbers 9:1-14, Isaiah 45, Colossians 1:1-20

There are parts of the Bible that I don't like to dwell on.

I think that's true for most of us. It's great to hear about all the blessings, and provision, and other good things. It's easy to avoid spending time thinking about the harder things. It's easy to pick single verses and pull them out of context, to achieve a goal. But it's better to pull it all together for the truth of what God is trying to say...instead of trying to make it fit what we want.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14)

It's so easy for me to just hear pieces.

"spiritual wisdom and understanding" - Yay, I'll be smart!

"for all endurance and patience" - I don't want to endure or be patient!

But the wholeness of the verse is the key. We are filled with God's will in spiritual wisdom and understanding so that we can please God and bear fruit. He will strengthen us with his power so that we can endure and be patient. But the capstone of it all is God's gift of inheritance. We are delivered from darkness, and adopted into His kingdom.

It's almost like it sums up the whole point of our existence on earth.

We are:

- Given good things so that we can please God and bring others to know Him.
- Given power that we may endure trials and have patience when suffering.
- Giving thanks to God who has adopted us into his family, relieving us from sin and darkness.
- Receiving the gift of God's kingdom.

And to think that I could have easily skimmed over this. This message of the gospel, contained in one small portion of the greater whole.