27/10/2022
Colossians1
9For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects - bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,
11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully
13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves,
Continue to Grow and Persevere
What Paul is saying to new Christians, we all need to take to heart. It is not enough to be content with our knowledge of God. God is infinite, we are finite. No matter how much we know, or think we know, there are always lessons to be learned. When elderly couples who have been married over fifty years are questioned about their marriage, they always mention the fact that they continued to be surprised at one another. If we can never totally understand another person, how can we begin to think that we understand God? The fact that this is actually impossible doesn't mean that we shouldn't continue to learn all that we can. We do this of course, by reading the Bible, meditating on it and discussing it with others. God knows we need this continues growth so that our faith can remain firm in the face of the difficulties of life. Most of us will never be persecuted for our faith, although some of us may be, and have to decide if it's worth it. But we are tested. We are tested every time hardship or tragedy strikes us, our family, friends, or the world at large. Will we stand firm in joy? The better we come to know God, the more we come to depend on Jesus, the firmer our faith will be when the dark days come. Remember, the dark days come to us all, and we need to be ready to go forth and meet them head on, knowing that we are not alone.
