Gordon E. Johnson
Rio Grande Bible Institute

What is a devotional?

                A devotional is a short meditation and an application of the truths of God's Word to my heart and life.  Its purpose is to instruct, encourage and possibly rebuke areas of life not in accordance with God's perfect will. The studies will be generally continuous expositions or explanations of an extended passage. Therefore, it would be well to keep the file and review the development of the truths and doctrines presented. The goal is to be practical and personal in application.

Paul begins his letter to the Colossians with a greeting (1:1-8) and prayer (9-14). Here is a prayer that we can pray for our own selves. Often we don't know how to pray, what to pray for. One secret is to find biblical prayers, such as this one, and pray through it on our knees before the Lord. You can be absolutely sure that you are praying according to the will of God.  God will answer that prayer, given your "walking in the light" (1 John 1:5-7).

Paul gives thanks for the believers. He had never seen them in person, but his heart is open to them (2:1).  We notice immediately he does not pray first for things, healing, physical needs – that may come later – but rather for their urgent need for a "knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (9). After heart knowledge, our need is our daily wall, our conduct in thought, word and deed (10). Now through God our  walk can become «worthy,» not in the sense of our goodness, but in accordance with God's own character(10)  This will be a daily walk, being strengthened by the glorious power of God available to us (11).  This power is to the end that we will suffer joyfully in our walk in a hostile world (12).

Paul is telling us that the Christian walk will be a combination of suffering and giving thanks that we share his suffering and that of all saints.  God does not promise us an easy road but rather strength for the road before us. In fact, he will say that to suffer for him is a high honor (1:24).  This is our inheritance. To receive an inheritance is always a reason for thankfulness.  God wants to turn our difficulties into gratefulness.

Now we come to how this prayer can be answered in our lives. It will not be by our trying to imitate Christ, but rather realizing several glorious facts already completed: 1) he delivered us, once and for all, from the power of darkness (13a).  Satan and this world have been conquered (2:15). His past control and influence have been broken. We don't need to fall before him any more.  If that is the negative side of deliverance, now see the positive side:  2). we have been definitely transferred or moved into the realm of the kingdom of the Son of his love (13b).  Our sad past, whatever it may have been, no longer needs to govern and limit us. No matter what our past sins may have been, of abuse, sexual, verbal or physical.  We are now in Christ and the power of his kingdom is more than sufficient.  This transferal occurred in the past, the moment we trusted in Christ as our Savior.  It is ours to believe and take hold of. God says it and I believe it.

Finally we have full forgiveness of sins (present tense), redemption through his blood. This prayer then is not only a call to a new walk; God has made every provision for its reality in our lives. He took us out of Adam and all his weakness and failure and he put us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. Let us take hold by faith and walk in accord with God's will expressed so eloquently in this prayer. Let us always affirm what God says.

Yours in the Message of the Cross

Gordon E. Johnson
April 8, 2005