Colossians 1:1-14 (NRSV)
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Chapter 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, Verse 2To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Verse 3In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Verse 4for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, Verse 5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel Verse 6that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. Verse 7This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, Verse 8and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
Verse 9For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, Verse 10so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. Verse 11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully
Verse 12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. Verse 13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, Verse 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Devotion
Bear fruit in every good work as you grow in the knowledge of the Lord.
First thing this morning I began melting the butter. Next I added the brown sugar, butterscotch pudding mix and cinnamon, and allowed it to melt together. The pan was sprinkled with pecans, over which I then placed fifteen frozen dinner rolls. After I had poured the melted caramel mixture over the rolls, I set the pan aside to let the dough rise.
As I write these words I am peeking at the pan of rolls. This is the only time that I become slightly anxious. Will the rolls rise? They had been in my freezer several weeks. I remember one time when the dough had been in the freezer too long and the rolls were small and thick and not puffy at all. I did everything right. I have done it so often I don't even have to look at the recipe. But, maybe this time, it will be a failure.
Paul had some of the same anxiety when he wrote to the people in the young church of Colossae. "I pray that you might live lives worth of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work." Paul knew everything called for in the recipe for becoming redeemed children of God was present. But would the dough rise this time?
Prayer
So live within me today, Jesus, that the gospel may rise and fill me for service to others. Amen.