The Daily Dose

Hidden treasure

In Him (Christ Jesus) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:3

Hidden treasures!  They are hidden for you, not from you.  Treasures are hidden for you to have and live your life by.  These are treasures that are beyond this world.  Priceless treasure that never run out.  They are the treasure of heaven.  You can have them right now.  They are waiting for you to find them and use them.  These great heavenly treasures that are available for you to draw from here in the life you are living in this world today.

It’s true! God has given us great treasure to help us navigate life.   These are the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.  Maybe you are thinking “I sure could use some wisdom in my life, but how do I find what is hidden?”  It does seem like it might be difficult to find because it is hidden, but it isn’t.  These great treasures are available to you as a child of God and as His child, you can reach out to Him and receive them at anytime.  These gifts of wisdom and knowledge will bring you to success in everything you come up against in life.  They will lead you to victory and always cause you to triumph in Christ Jesus.

So how do we get our hands on these wonderful gifts from God?  How do we access the heavenly treasury to bring them into the natural world.  James 1:5 tells us that if we are lacking wisdom, we should ask for it from God our heavenly Father.  This asking does require a humble heart.  You don’t have to go to God groveling and begging, but you do need to go with the attitude that “I don’t have the wisdom I need here, but I know You do, my Father.  I ask for it to be known to me, right now in this situation, in Jesus name.”  Proverbs 8 tells us that wisdom stands at the crossroads.  It is there when you are at a point of making a choice which road take.  Instead of rushing to make a decisions that looks good to you, pause and ask for wisdom to lead you down the right path.  Then follow the wisdom you are given, even if you are not sure where you will end up. The best part about following God’s wisdom is that it will always lead to His goodness.

Today I want to encourage you to access the treasure of heaven and get the wisdom and knowledge that your heavenly Father has stored up for you there.  He wants to give you His wisdom and He wants to give you His knowledge, but in the same way we receive anything from Him, we have to ask by faith, nothing wavering and believe we receive it (Mark 11:23).

Today’s scripture reading: Colossians 2:1-10

Your completeness

You are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.  Colossians 2:10

 Have you ever felt incomplete?  Like something was missing, but you just didn’t know what it was?  How about this:  Have you ever thought “if I could just have a million dollars, a new car or the latest devise, then I will achieve wholeness.”?  Maybe you have tried this through the course of your life time only to be dissatisfied and disappointed every time.

Today’s verse gives us some insight into this idea of completeness and wholeness.  It says we are complete in Christ Jesus. Not only that, but the previous verse says that in Him (Christ Jesus) lives the fullness of the God head.  So why wouldn’t we be complete in Him. When we are in Him, we are in the fullness of the God head.   The problem is that we can only recognize this completeness/wholeness as we renew our mind to it.  We have to feed on it.  Here’s the thing:  if you spend the majority of your time looking at and thinking about the million dollars, the new car and the latest devise, then that is where you believe your fulfilment will come from.  In contrast, if you take time to purposefully focus on, learn more about and press into your completeness in Him, that is where your complete satisfaction will come from.  It is not an automatic thing, just as living by faith is not automatic. 

The bottom line is there is nothing else in this entire world that can satisfy our desire for wholeness.  You are complete, but it is not in yourself and it is not in things.  It is only in the love and salvation of the one who died for your freedom and wholeness.

Today I want to encourage you to focus on, learn more about and press into the head of the body of believers.  Make a special effort to spend time with Him today.  Not only time reading His Word and praying, but also spend time listening to the love Words He speaks to your heart each day.  Ask Him to help you locate the place of fulfilment and satisfaction that only He gives. Then put aside distractions and desires that will never be enough to fill you up. 

Today’s scripture reading: Colossians 2:8-10

Walk in Him

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.  Colossians 2:6-7

I love how God’s Word gives us simple formulas to live life God’s way.  Most passages that give us direction on what to do, follows with the process of how to do it.  Today’s passage is no different.  It says that in the same way that we received Jesus as our Lord, now we are to walk as He did in life.  Then the scripture goes on to tell us how to do it.  It says to be:

1. Rooted in Him
2. Built up in Him
3. Established in the faith
4. Abounding with thanksgiving

Let’s unpack these steps to make them a little more practical in our daily walk.  First, we are to be rooted in Him.  Being rooted is being so firmly attached that nothing can separate us from Him.  Ephesians 3:17 says that we are rooted and ground in love.  Our roots grow deep by having a personal revelation of the love of God for our lives. That revelation comes by reading, meditating the Word of God and spending time with Him on the daily basis.

Being built up is being encouraged.  Ideally, someone else comes along and cheers you on in life.  However, you cannot always depend on that happening.  You must learn how to trust the LORD to be your encourager.  The best way to do that is by reading the Word of God, spend time in worship or listening to messages.  Make a plan for when the low times come.  They are inevitable, so why not put an escape route in place now, then when you are feeling down, you can turn to the things that will lift you back up again.

To be established in the faith means that your feet are on solid ground.  You have been rooted, and now nothing can move you from your faith stand.  You know that faith grows by hearing the Word of God, (see Romans 10:17) so you stand on it continually as evidence that you are a child of God.

Lastly is my favorite!  Overflowing with thanksgiving.  A thankful heart changes things.  It changes your perspective, it changes your disposition and it changes your attitude.  Being thankful opens up the way for you to receive everything you need from your Heavenly Father.  An unthankful heart is like a closed door to the blessings of God.

Today I want to encourage you to walk in Christ Jesus the same way you received Him, by faith.  By faith, be rooted and firmly secure in Him.  By faith, be built up and encouraged in Him.  By faith, be established in Him and by faith, abound in thankfulness.  By following these simple steps consistently, you will solidify your life in the love of God and walk in Christ Jesus just as you received Him.

Today’s scripture reading: Colossians 2:4-7

Woven together

That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, Colossians 2:2

Chapter 2 of Colossians begins with Paul expressing an internal conflict he is having.  He doesn’t think people are understanding the gospel message and what it means to be a Christ follower (Christian).  He gives them some simple steps to assess their faith walk.  He starts with telling them to encourage and love each other.  He says that when they love one another they will be knit together or in complete unity/agreement.

Paul’s words to encourage and love sound like a simple command to follow, but mostly it doesn’t come naturally.  Love is a choice that must be chosen continuously.  I like the wording used in this passage of being “knit” together in love.  It is like being woven together in the fabric of life to become a beautiful garment that is the work of the LORD.  One of the practices to come into agreement with others is by encouraging those around you.  Take time to notice and appreciate what people are doing for kingdom progress.  Send messages of thankfulness and applaud individuals for the work they are doing in God’s kingdom.  Appreciate the time and effort that goes into the things God has called us all to do.  Then let those around you know you noticed their work and labor of love.  Not because they need your approval or a sense of pride but only because it will tighten and strengthen the fabric of the “garment” with the love that you are sharing.

It is easy to get caught up in sitting back, observing and criticizing how others are doing kingdom work.  Wouldn’t it make more sense that instead of pointing out what others are doing wrong, that you step in and offer to help.  Maybe they are doing it wrong because they are not gifted in that area, but filling a place that is void of the person with the gift.  You are the missing part of the picture if you are not serving along with the rest of the body.

Today I want to encourage you to offer love and encouragement to those serving in the work of the LORD. Even if you think your words or opinion won’t make a difference, send a message of appreciation simply because you want to be an inspiring voice to others. If you find yourself continuously finding fault and noticing imperfection in the work, you are probably the missing ingredient of the recipe needed to move the project forward.  Raise you hand and volunteer to step into a supportive role today.  It will probably not start out as the lead, but begin with filling an empty slot, then as you learn and grow, it will not be long until you accomplish all that God has planned for you to do.  The bottom line is to be an encouragement and love others.  If that means serve along side them, than do that too.

Today’s scripture reading: Colossians 2:1-3

Really good news

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Colossians 1:27

To me, this is the best news in the Word of God.  Why?  Because it includes me personally.  It includes you too.  It’s the message that God included everyone in His salvation plan and then He wanted all of us to know about it.  He didn’t make this rich and glorious plan to save all people and then not tell anyone about it. He didn’t tell the first believers, I saved all people, now you go figure out how to let everyone know.  He executed the plan, then He told His followers about it, then He filled them with the power to not only tell the message, but He also filled them with the power to do signs and wonders as evidence that it was a true word (see Acts 1:8).  This mysterious work was completed to bridge the gap between God the Father and all people, His children/creation.

It has been good news since it began at Jesus’ resurrection and it continues today.  This wonderful news that God sent Jesus to remove the separation between God and all people.  From generation to generation this message of love has not only endured, but also grown to be an unstoppable force in the world.  There are more people today than ever that know, believe and share the gospel every day!  That’s where you and I come into the picture.  Think about the person who told you about salvation and the impact it has made on your life since you received.  Now think about those you have shared this good news with and the difference it has made in their life.  We are preserving and continuing the message and His command to share the message.

The Hebrew leaders of Jesus day didn’t want Jesus’ love and salvation.  They tried to stop the word from spreading.  I am so thankful that they did because it opened the believers up to the idea that the message could reach beyond the Jewish nation.  That’s how I came to know Him.  I am far from Israel and far from where it all started, but praise God, He reached me with His love.  Now it is our turn to make sure the message doesn’t stop with this time in history.  Even though we mostly believe that the end of time on earth is drawing near, we still need to be getting the message out.  Now more than ever we have opportunities to reach around the world.  With everyone doing their part, this message of the gospel can reach every continent, every nation and every neighborhood.  That’s what He is waiting for.  He wants every ear to hear how He loves them and then He will come back for us.

Today I want to encourage you to understand your part in the salvation plan.  His part was to do the saving work on the cross.  Your part is to receive salvation, receive the power of the Holy Spirit and share the message in Jerusalem (your home), Judea (your neighborhood), Samaria (those different than you) and to the ends of the earth (support missions).  Go ahead and step into the ministry God has for you today and tell all you know that He loves them and wants to spend all eternity with them.

Today’s scripture reading: Colossians 1:24-29

He put us back together

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—Colossians 1:21-22

I didn’t know I was God’s enemy before I received His gift of salvation.  Imagine, giving the greatest gift you ever gave to your enemy.  Imagine giving that gift to all of your enemies.  That’s what we all were, enemies of God.  Yet, He gave His only Son to die for us all, His enemies.  We were enemies in our minds.  We didn’t know we were God’s enemy, we just didn’t even bother thinking about Him.  Thoughts of God were far from our reasoning, that’s actually how He became our enemy.  The separation kept us from considering His great love.  We didn’t consider that He created us and desired to be with us.  All that people could think about was “me” and how to make “me” happy, how to get “my” own way.  In our minds, we devised wicked works to get the things to satisfy this human body.  Completely uninterested in all He desired for us.

Now, we are holy, blameless and above reproach.  When He looks at us, He approves us.  We have been given His stamp of approval!  Not only that, He put us back together with Him so that we could be one again.  No long broken into millions of pieces, we are once again united!  One body, the body of His dear son Jesus.  This is a great revelation.  In the past, I have always seen this reconciliation as us being able to come into the presence of God with our requests and prayers without going through the high priest.  However, this passages opens up my understanding that we are put back together with Him.  Made to be one body.  I know we are the body of Christ, but I have never looked at it from this point of view.  He didn’t die to only give us access to the Father, He died so that we could be connected to the Father.  We have been put back together with Him.  We are a one with Him!  This is amazing and explains how we are able to hear our Father through His Holy Spirit.  It’s because we are a part of Him!  He lives in us and we live in Him!  Glory to God!

Lastly, since it’s Christmas time, I want to consider the words the angels spoke to the shepherds the night Jesus was born in the earth.  They said:  “We bring good news of great joy and it’s for all people.”  They then added:  “Glory to God because He has put us back together with Him again.” (see Luke 2)

Today I want to encourage you to be thankful!  Be thankful first of all that you are no longer the enemy of God and that He has put us back together with Him.  Begin to consider what life should be like to be one with the Father.  Think about hearing His love and direction through His Spirit.  Envision what it is like to move and speak your words directly from Him.  Picture how your life can be different simply by honing in on your unity with your Father in heaven.  Don’t be separated from Him by thoughts by wicked works, ask Him to give you His thoughts on all things!

Today’s scripture reading: Colossians 1:21-23

In His image

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Colossians 1:15

This is amazing.  Jesus is the visible image of our invisible God and Father.  He looks like God and He should because He is God.  The amazing part about this is . . .  He is a man.  Jesus!  He was born a baby person, grew up to become a man, died a human death, and rose up from the grave with a glorified, still a man, body.  He is human kind, our kind, mankind.  Why am I going on like this?  Like it is some kind of unbelievable truth?  Because it is, God created our kind so we could reflect who He is.  He made us to be like Him, to look like Him and to act like Him.  I know we don’t get it perfectly right all the time, but His grace makes up the difference.  With God’s grace, we can accomplish the things God want to get accomplished while we are here. However, that doesn’t change the fact that we were made in His image, created to be like Him and created for Him to have a body.

Now, here’s the really amazing part.  Jesus as a man, is ruling over the universe!  It’s true!   Verse 18 tells us He is the head and rules over all!  Everything from governments to galaxies and He is the beginning of everything!  This is something to get stirred up about because we are part of His body.  His complete body.  He is building an unstoppable body of people to rule with Him.  Not only are we part of His body, we are His family.  We are connected.  As we continue to read in Colossians 1, verse 19 says God in all His fullness lived in Christ Jesus and through Jesus He connected everything in this world to Himself.  He connected heaven and earth with His blood on the cross.

I don’t know about you, but I for one am so thankful.  I especially focus on this revelation at this time of the year.  The time when God took on a body and became one of us.  The Creator became part of His creation!  No love can compare.  The thought of it warms my heart like nothing else in this world can!  I love Him so much because He included me.  He included me in His grace, He included me in His plan and He included me in His family!  He included you too!

Today I want to encourage you to consider your Heavenly Father becoming a person like us.  Think of all He included you in.  Think of what He has accomplished to connect with you and be thankful and joyful that you have a part in His grace, His plan and His family.  Begin to talk about it where ever you go and soon, you will be bringing others into the family with you.  The greatest gift you can give Jesus for His birthday is more family!

Today’s scripture reading: Colossians 1:15-20

God’s protection

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,  Colossians 1:13

God’s protection!  Have you ever thought about it?  Better yet, have you ever asked for it?  Today’s verse says that He has delivered us from the power of darkness.  He already did it.  He pulled you out of the grips of sin and destruction when you received Jesus as your LORD and Savior.  Divine protection was included with that great salvation.  So why do we see people with tragedy coming into their lives?  With some people, it seems to come more often than others.  How do we step into this place of divine protection?

I remember a time that I had this conversation with my Heavenly Father.  I was feeling afraid and worried about possibilities of the people I love falling into calamity.  I asked Him, “LORD, how can I know you will protect them?”  It didn’t take long to get an answer.  He simply showed me, to receive His protection in the same way I receive anything from Him . . . ask in faith.  The same way I received salvation, the same way I receive provision and the same way I get wisdom.  I ask Him. 

Now, I do try to remember to ask for His divine protection every day for myself and those I know and love.  However, I don’t ask for Him to save me every day, but He does.  I have been saved for all eternity.  The only way for that to change is if I walk away from it.  I believe His protection is the same.  I asked for it and I received it, now just like I thank Him for His salvation on a regular basis, I thank Him for His protection regularly.

Today I want to encourage you to received His great gift of salvation, if you haven’t already.  Do it now by asking Him to come into your life to be your LORD and Savior.  Once He is your LORD, thank Him for His love for you and that He is big enough to keep you from the power of darkness.  Ask Him for His divine protection and then just as you received your salvation, believe you have His protection on your life too.  He is watching over you and He will keep you in all your ways!

Today’s scripture reading: Colossians 1:9-14

  Qualified

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. Colossians 1:11-12

Have you ever felt unqualified?  Maybe you were in a position with people that had a different skill set or different knowledge than you?  I know I have.  All through my life I have found myself in situations with people I thought were way more qualified than I was. However, God seemed to put me in those areas because I was willing to take a step of faith and obedience.  It’s like He speaks to my heart in a certain area and usually I am eager to follow the direction.  Although there have been time that I dragged my feet because something may have looked like it wouldn’t work in the natural.  However, my Heavenly Father is so patient with me and He always seems to get me there at just the right time.  Though sometime I feel I have no business being there. 

That hasn’t always been the case though.  For years I tried to drag God down a road that I thought was best.  Walking down a dark path that I thought would end in happiness and fulfillment.  Oh, He was always faithful to bail me out of the ditches I had gotten myself into because of bad decisions, but I just didn’t get it.  I didn’t get that God had a good plan for my life and if I would just surrender my life to His direction, He would take me places I never would have dreamed of before.  Then one day I did.  One day I invited Jesus into my life to be Lord, not my savior only.  That made all the difference.  In surrendering to Him as Lord of my life, I no longer allowed my will to be my direction.  I began to follow His direction and plan and even though it didn’t always look like what I wanted, the end results turned out for the best.  I would have never gotten to where I am today if I had continued down the same short-sighted road I was on. 

Today’s scripture talks about God qualifying us to have a part in His Kingdom work, not only in this world but also in heaven someday.  Think about it, you are a child of God, doesn’t it make sense that He would trust His children to do His business with Him?  Here’s the thing:  When God asks me to go someplace, talk to someone or give something, it really has nothing to do with me other than I get to have a part in what He is doing.  What it really has to do with is when I go there, God goes there.  He reaches into the situation because I am there as His representative.  Not because I am so smart and qualified, it’s because I am His child and we are working together.  It’s actually fun!  When I listen to Him, I bless others, I can be an answer to someone’s prayer and I get filled up with the joy and energy of the LORD.  It’s a pretty great deal!

I don’t have a part to do in the kingdom of Heaven because I’m qualified, God qualified me and then trains me for the part because I work with my Father in the family business. I am strengthened and empowered with His glorious might and joyfully patient and longsuffering.  I am thankful to my Father because He has qualified me to have a part in the inheritance/work of the kingdom.          

Today I want to encourage you to surrender all to Him.  Ask Jesus to be your LORD not only your Savior and tell Him you want to do your part in the family business.  Submit each day to your heavenly Father and ask Him where He wants to go today to answer someone prayer.  When you listen and follow the direction He give, you are doing His business.  Not because you are qualified but because He qualified you when He rescued you. If you’re not sure how to hear His direction, ask Him. Ask Him to make His voice plain and clear. Ask Him to help you not to miss it. When you do miss it, quickly ask Him to help you get back up again. Learn to hear His direction in the little things so that when big decisions come along, you already know what He sounds like and you will be eager to follow His instruction. Lastly, don’t dismiss and be aware of the thoughts and ideas that come when you are talking to Him especially when it comes to blessing others. When you dismiss or ignore Him, His voice on the inside of you will become quiet and harder to hear. As you are eager to act, it will become loud and clear.

Today’s scripture reading: Colossians 1:9-14

Walk worthy of the LORD

Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; Colossians 1:10

In today’s passage we have some insight into what it means to walk worthy of the LORD.  On the surface, it looks like walking worthy of the LORD would be walking in obedience to Him and His Word.  While that is true, as you continue to read the verse, it says that the way to fully please Him is to be fruitful in every “good work” that you do.  The verse ends by saying that as you become fruitful the result will be knowing your Heavenly Father better/more. (increase in the knowledge of Him)

So, what is the definition of being fruitful in every “good work”?  If something is fruitful, it produces fruit, or more fruit of the same kind.  For instance, if you plant a tomato seed, you use the seed from the inside of a tomato and if it is fruitful, it produces more tomatoes.  In the same ways if you sow/give “good works”, you will produce more opportunities to do good for others.  Here’s the thing, “good works” are only things that you do for others, not for yourself.  Below is a list of scriptures with some insight into what “good works” are all about:

First of all, Ephesians 2:10 says we were created with “good works” in us that God planned out for us to do. That means there is “good work” seed inside of us, just like the seed in the tomato plant.  This is the origin of “good works”. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:16 to let your light shine before men by doing “good works” that glorify your Father in heaven. So in doing “good works” others see His light. This is the purpose for “good works” In Acts 9:36 we see that “good works” is defined as charitable deeds, or things done for others. This is the action of “good works”. 2 Timothy 2:21 tells us that if we get rid of all the unimportant and distracting things in life, we will become prepared for every “good work” that comes our way. This is the starting point of “good works”.

The bottom line, “good works” are opportunities or test that come into our lives every day.  Either we do them or pass them up.  Either we are watching for them and eagerly accomplish them, or we are too busy and distracted to notice when a “good work” is right in front of us.  If we recognize and complete the “good works” that are in our path, we will be more aware of opportunities to give and serve others and His light will always be shining through us.  That is when our “good works” are fruitful and producing more opportunities to serve and love on others.

Lastly, Jesus said in Luke 19:17 to be faithful with little before you can be trusted with much.  If you are always passing over the little opportunities to look for greater ones, you are not being faithful with the least. If you are passing over “good work” opportunities only to do what is comfortable and convenient, your fruit will be mostly rotten and worthless.

Today I want to encourage you to walk worthy of the LORD by pleasing Him in every “good work” that He puts in your pathway.  Whether it is small or great, be faithful in the little and the big things.  The bottom line is that you become the same person whether you are being seen by no one or everyone.  Your response is to God and He is the one that is always watching and empowering you.  So today, begin to serve others at every opportunity.  Whether great or small, lend a helping hand, give of your resources and just love all those that come into your life.  These “good works” will produce a closer walk with the LORD and grow your knowledge of who He is, because you are acting like Him by loving and giving to others.

Today’s scripture reading: Colossians 1:9-18