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Colossians 2:6-7

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Personal Challenge

What does it mean to walk in Christ? We are to follow Him in all that we do, copying His way of being and doing that until it becomes our natural way of being and doing. We emulate Him. As we do this our roots begin to set deep into Him and we are changed into His disciples. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Colossians 1:9-12

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; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Personal Challenge

Paul commits to be praying for his brothers and sisters in Christ. He asks that we do the same. We can pray for our needs, but is more fruitful to be praying for others and their needs. So, what do pray for in the lives of others? We pray that they will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. We pray that they may walk worthy of Him, pleasing Him, being fruitful in good work and increasing in the knowledge of Him. We pray that they might be strengthened in Him and to grow in Him. As we pray for others this way, we too are blessed. Glory be to God!

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the scriptures we are reminded that God will supply for our needs. This is not some prosperity or name it and claim it gospel. God knows our true needs. He also knows our wants. The issue is that we often do not even know our needs because we are so focused on our wants. God will always take care of us, His children. He will always make sure that our needs are met. These are needs that He sees for each one of us. They are not needs as we, or the world sees them. Our role in this supply is to be content with what He gives us and to trust that He knows what is best for us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Personal Challenge

There is a wonderful promise at the end of this passage. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” There is a caveat that goes with this promise. We must learn to be content with every circumstance that comes our way. Content that God is in control. Content that the circumstances that we are in the middle of are there for our own good. Content that God will strengthen us through His Son. If we cannot learn to be contain in this way then we should not expect God to work through us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Encouraging Words

I think we all desire to have peace in our lives. If that peace can be godly, God-centric peace, then it is even better. There are things that we can do to help bring this peace into our lives. Paul tells us to meditate on those things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely and of good report. Also things that have virtue and that are praiseworthy. Meditating on these kinds of things in our lives will help to usher in the peace that God wants us to experience. Glory be to God!

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We have so much to be thankful for in our lives. For those of us who are followers of Christ, that thankfulness extends far beyond all that we have in this earthly life. Living a thankful life points us in the direction to be able to rejoice in our Lord at all times and in all ways. We can become people that show gentleness to those around us. We can live our lives without anxiety by doing everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, knowing that God will answers those prayers with what is best for us. We will be able to live our lives in the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. Glory be to God!

Philippians 3:12-14

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Encouraging Words

There is a prize, a special and glorious price, at the end of our life, that we press on towards. It is that upward call into our place in heaven by God through Jesus. This is our goal, our target, in life. We keep our eyes and hearts focused on that prize every moment of every day, not looking back or to the side, so that we keep moving toward it. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Philippians 3:8-11

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Personal Challenge

So, what exactly is Paul is choosing to count as loss? It is all those things of this world that comes between him and his Lord. He chooses to count these things as rubbish in his life. Why would he do that? Why. would we do this? Because that which we gain in Christ by giving up the things of this world far exceeds the loss. We actually gain Christ. We are found in Him. We receive His righteousness. We attain resurrection from death through Hm. Glory be to God!