Devotionals from my Bible app: Knowing Scripture (Colossians 3:16)

Note before sharing the devotional: dovetailing off Sunday's post, when we spend a lot of time meditating on the Word of God, we will also know Scripture. As for what Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossian church, the Word of Christ will dwell richly in you. After all, as is recorded at the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1-2, NKJV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14, NKJV

This was in fact my devotional on Thanksgiving day, and it was another reminder of how important it is to make giving God thanks (and being thankful in general) a daily practice and a key part of my faith. Life gets hard. It gets hard a lot. While my circumstances don't evade God's awareness, He looks first and foremost at my heart. As much as I am aware I want to resist this question, the real question isn't: when is this trial going to be over? It's: how am I responding in my heart to what's going on? Where am I putting my energy? Am I focusing on God or on my troubles? These are the things He looks at every day.

Thanksgiving Day in and of itself had its own blessings and challenges. I went out to lunch that day with my future bride, my father, and my future best man, three of my favorite people. However, I had damaged my car key (with it still in the ignition and with my car running) on the drive to the restaurant. I'm not going to lie: it did put a damper on the day, at least until the end when my dad and I were able to figure out how to put the key back together so we would be able to drive home. In retrospect, though, considering the trial, I realized that I was with the best people for that situation. My dad was a great help with troubleshooting the key itself. And my future bride and future best man were great emotional supports for me as I wrestled with this freakish event being a reality. Plus, before and after the meal, I spent lots of time writing music, which I love doing. So, I choose to be thankful and call it a good day, because it was.

Knowing Scripture

Paul’s letter to the Colossians is rich with insight into who Jesus is, what He has done, and how we should respond.

He wrote to encourage them to keep their eyes on Jesus, to live a life worthy of their calling, to be full of love for one another, and to…

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:16 ESV

Since the Church was new at this point, it didn’t have a complete, written Bible. So, when Paul told Christians to let the “word of Christ dwell” in them richly—he would have been referring to the teachings of Jesus they’d learned from Paul and others.

Because access to written Scripture was limited, this new Church needed to be encouraged and reminded to stay faithful in teaching one another. And one of the ways they did this was through praising God together and being thankful for all He had done.

We now have an incredible gift in the Bible. We have the full counsel of God from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Through God’s Word, we can know God’s plan and purposes, the story and truth of Jesus, and how we are to live as followers of Christ together. And, we can encourage one another as we study and learn Scripture together.

So, take time in your day to read God’s Word. Study its content and context. Discover God's character, plans, purposes, and love as you allow His Word to dwell in you richly. Then, try to spend time with other believers and discuss what you’ve read.

https://bible.com/bible/59/col.3.16.ESV