Not long after hearing the sermon as shared in yesterday’s post, I came across a devotional focused on the below verse:
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Colossians 3:15 NKJV
In this post, I’m going to add some notes and thoughts to not only accompany the Bible verses but also illustrate the sequence in which they came to mind. Continuing on below:
One other thing I’ve begun doing in my Bible reading this year is finding verses or passages (typically from the Psalms but includes from anywhere in the Bible) to habitually pray. I felt the Lord prompt me to add the below passage, and I hope it also inspires you.
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”Colossians 3:12-17 NKJV
One of the questions/prompts that came up states: what part of this verse (referring specifically to Colossians 3:15 but could honestly apply to the whole passage) do you have trouble believing?
My answer: the word “let.” As far as the verse itself is concerned, I desire for the peace of God to rule in my heart! I’ve tasted His peace quite a few times before in moments, and I have found that it indeed is good. I love feeling His peace! But I often don’t experience it. In fact, most of the time, I haven’t. So when I go back to the source (this verse) to try to understand why (by the way, I believe that God does charge us to always put our best effort in trying to understand Him and His Word, and to obey Him) I see the leak in the line: the word “let.”
As far as why this post is a follow up to the sermon I posted yesterday, it is due to the prior verse (as well as the whole passage):
“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”Colossians 3:14 NKJV
We love God because He first loved us.
“We love Him because He first loved us.”I John 4:19 NKJV
We can therefore love the work God is doing in us because He first loved us.
“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”Philippians 1:6 NKJV
When we receive His love, love Him back with our all, and we love His work in us, we can then love others.
“Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”Matthew 22:37-39 NKJV