Buffer Week Assignment. .

 I am sooooo glad to be home!!

There really is NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

Had a great time in Boston. .

I think Mom would say the same. .

The conference was great. .

and I learned a lot of great material!

It will take me a while to get thru my notes and download the references I want to keep handy. .

but that is for next week!!  I have been able to get thru the readings multiple times this week too. .

and hope you have as well. . 

This was pretty much a self-directed week. .

our assignment. .was to just share what struck you from the Scriptures in your reading. .

While, the only thing in my notes written in all capitals was this. .

that we will be presented as HOLY, and FAULTLESS, and BLAMELESS on that last day if we REMAIN steadfast in the Truth. .

 

my favorite part was how Paul SHOWED us. .

how to pray. .

for ourselves as well as for others. .

it has been a shift that the Spirit has been working on in my life for a few years now. .

and one that I try to demonstrate to our youth group kids. .

and don’t think I wasn’t surprised to see it lined out EXACTLY. .

within the pages of scripture. .

I was also humbled to see that this is how the Spirit has had me praying for each of you involved in this blogging bible study since we began. .

All this time. .

I thought it was MY great idea. .

only to see that the Spirit leads me, even when I’m not paying attention!!

 

Here are the verses from Colossians 1:9-14. .

One of the translations that I read this week was from Holman Christian Standard, which is downloaded on my kindle (for free). .The bolded parts were my emphasis. .

Prayer for Spiritual Growth

⁹ For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,^{[e] 10} so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹ May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you^[f] to share in the saints’^[g] inheritance in the light. ¹³ He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. ¹⁴ We have redemption,^[h] the forgiveness of sins, in Him.

 

It is tempting to ask God to give us the things we want. .

in the way that we want them. .

as well as WHEN we want them (NOW, anyone??). .

to deliver us from everything bad or harmful. .

and for our friends the same. .

and I don’t think it is wrong to ask those type of things. .

BUT. .I believe that this is where we take the bible as a whole. .

and from the books that we have studied. .

we saw in 1 John. .5:4. .

And we can be confident that He will listen to

us whenever we ask Him for anything in line with His will. .

I think Paul is demonstrating what it looks like to pray in the will of God. .

I would challenge you all right now. .

if you are NOT praying for your own spiritual growth in a manner such as this, that you copy this scripture on a notecard. .

or bullet it out like this. .

Ask God in prayer to. .

Fill me with the knowledge of His will. .

give me ALL wisdom and spiritual understanding. .

do this so I can walk worthy to God. .

make me pleasing to God. .

help me to bear fruit in all my good works. .

help me grow in the knowledge of God. .

strengthen me with all power from above. .

that I might be patient and enduring in trials and life circumstances. .

and that I will do so in joy. .

not whining and grumbling. .

remind me to give THANKS to the Father. .

for rescuing me!! 

Wisdom is PRECIOUS. .Proverbs 3:13-21. .

God founded the earth with it. .Proverbs 3:19. .

James tells us to ask God for it and He will give it to us 1:5. .

We each should be praying regularly for it. .a

nd praying that God bestow it on those that we love!

Another favorite spot of mine is in chapter 3. .

Paul tells us how people claiming Christ as their Savior are to be living. .

we should be setting our thoughts on heaven. .

We should be killing off the worldly desires. .

we should be putting on (an action word. .I believe symbolizing the fact that we should be physically working to change ourselves, as we would work physically to put on our clothes) our new nature, that is born from Christ. .

We should be loving people and making allowances for the “human-ness” of others. .

and forgiving people. .

we should also be letting the words of Christ dwell in our hearts to make us wise!

We are to use these words to encourage, teach, and sometimes counsel (some versions say admonish) other Christians. .

And all the while. .we are to be giving thanks to GOD!

So if you still aren’t sure about the importance of reading and studying your bibles. .

and learning God’s word for yourself. .

I think that Colossians did a great job of showing us what God thinks about it!! 

Speaking of wisdom. .

Has anyone ever read Proverbs from chapter 1 to chapter 31??

It’s a great resource for finding out what God thinks is wise. .

and what He deems as foolish!!

 I love that Solomon tells us right up front in verse 2. .t

hat the proverbs were written to TEACH people wisdom and discipline. .

And I think that the beginning of chapter 2 links into Colossians 1:9-14 (above) in a powerful way. .

Solomon tells us to CRY out or CALL out. .

for insight and understanding.

When you hear the phrase Cry out. .or Call out. .

do think of something quiet or meek??

Not me. .I think of LOUD, assertive, desperate, eager. .and purposeful. .

When I cry out to God. .

It’s usually from some type of painful situation. .a desperateness. .

I need you NOW type of thing. .

when I cry out. .it is specific. .

when I call out to my kids. .

It is generally thought out. .

something I needed them to know or do NOW. .

and it’s usually LOUD!!

 

He goes on to tell us in verse 2:2 to “tune our ears to wisdom”. .

when we tune our radio. .

we are looking for something specific, aren’t we?

Sometimes we have tune thru several stations before we find WHAT we are looking for. .

Solomon tells us to tune (be attentive to, other translations say)TO wisdom. .

he gave us the channel we should be searching for. .

 

Speaking of searching. .

I LOVE 2:4. .

Search for them (understanding and insight) as you would for lost money or hidden treasure!!

All translations listed on biblehub used the word SEEK or SEARCH and sometimes both if they split the sentence. .

If you had a check for $10,000 sitting on your desk, waiting to be deposited into the bank. .

and you went to grab it as you headed out the door. .

and found it missing. .

tell me. .

how EARNESTLY would you be SEARCHING your house for that check?? Personally, I would be tearing out the furniture. .

We are to be seeking for insight and understanding to God’s wisdom in such a manner. .

not just floating through our lives, waiting for some to jump on us as we do life our own way. .

Speaking of wisdom and hidden treasures. .

that led us RIGHT back to Colossians 2:3 In Him (Christ) lie hidden ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. .

So. .

Are you SEEKING Him. .actively. .expectantly. .thankfully??

  I hope you are putting that into practice!!

 

Let us know what YOUR take home verses were out of Colossians and/or Proverbs this week!!

And be sure and come back next week. .
as we begin studying the book of Galatians in the month of November!!

Enjoy your weekend!!