So, what happened to last week’s devotion? Life…
The interruption came from a blown circuit breaker we are still waiting to have replaced. We ordered it last week (there aren’t any in the local stores) and are trying to be patient until it arrives.
The Lord graciously provided so I could get this week’s devotional out, and I pray it encourages you. God helped me adjust my perspective this week, reminding me of where my faith is truly placed and where my hope is found.
I would love to hear from you! Let me know how to pray for you as we wait with hope until our faith is made sight.
In His Grace,
Dawn
Grace Notes – Gracious Perspective
“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [how you lean on Him with absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness], and of the [unselfish] love which you have for all the saints (God’s people); because of the [confident] hope [of experiencing that] which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. You previously heard of this hope in the message of truth, the gospel [regarding salvation].”
Colossians 1:3-5 AMP
Grace Perspective:
The apostle Paul wrote this letter to Christians in the small city of Colossae to lovingly encourage them to have unshakeable faith in Christ Jesus. He prays for them with thanksgiving because he heard of their confidence in the Lord’s power, wisdom, and goodness. He praises their unselfish love for all the saints (anyone in Christ Jesus) and their hope in the eternal home in heaven. The saints in Colossae had an eternal perspective based on the hope found in the gospel message.
Paul’s gracious prayer encourages all believers to have confident hope in the message of truth, that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. All who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life with Him. A gracious perspective that gives us confident hope.
A Touch of Grace:
How did you hear about placing your faith in Christ Jesus?
What is your eternal perspective based upon?
Grace Application:
Paul wrote this prayer to believers in Colossae to encourage them in their faith in Christ Jesus. When he wrote this letter, he didn’t know that their faith was soon shaken, literally, when a horrific earthquake devastated the city. Life often brings circumstances that can shake our faith.
But, the believers in Colossae held fast to the gospel message. This was proved by their love for one another and all the saints. They demonstrated their faith through their love and hope. They set their hope on what was laid up for them in heaven, the glory of eternal life with Christ.
Did they have problems? Absolutely! Like us, they had relationship issues, financial worries, illnesses, anxieties, losses,…all the things that keep our eyes on the here and now, tempting us to think life will always be the same. Paul’s prayer of encouragement is meant for us too. It reminds us that we can have unshakeable faith and expectation of the good things waiting for us in heaven. The Hebrew word for hope used in this passage is elpis. It means: “joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; the author of hope, or he who is its foundation; the thing hoped for.” [i]
It’s not that we deny how hard life can be; our suffering is real. However, our perspective of suffering matters greatly. When our hope is placed in Jesus Christ, the Author of our hope, we can lean on His power and wisdom to strengthen us through the trials. Life won’t magically become easy, but with heaven clearly in our sight, having His gracious perspective of eternity will help us endure until we’re home.
Prayer:
Gracious Father, I come to You in the precious name of Jesus Christ, thankful for the grace that brought me to faith in Christ Jesus. Thank You that my hope is found in You and what You have laid up for me in heaven. Father, increase my love for all the saints and remind me to encourage them with a gracious perspective of what waits for us in eternity with You. Amen
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know for sure you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubts, please call out to God so that all doubt is erased. Today is a good day to be assured of Salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**
[i] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1680/esv/mgnt/0-1/