“Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (KJV, Col. 1:1-12).
“Strengthened with all might”
Father, as I approach this day, I notice that I need Your strength. I cannot accomplish Your will apart from Your divine assistance. Sometimes I believe that I can conquer the world without seeking You in prayer. During these times, Your Spirit reveals that I am self-confident rather than trusting and dependent.
Peter also thought he could conquer the world but shrank back in fear when his trial came. Before he denied Christ, I see him in the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus and two other disciples. Jesus instructed him to pray and watch for one hour lest he fall into temptation, for the spirit is willing but the flesh.
Peter was willing to live and die for Christ, but his flesh would not allow it when his testing came. Had Peter done what His Master instructed and prayed, he may have been equipped for battle. His spirit would likely have been strengthened and would have overcome his fleshly response of denial. Teach me from Peter’s mistake to never neglect prayer.
Nevertheless, You were kind to Peter and forgave him for sinning against You. I also need to be forgiven and pray that You would. Please help me to turn and forsake my sin of self-confidence. Teach me to grow in my dependence upon You and see my need to be in prayer.
Please strengthen me with might this day, so I can honor You in all I do. I need Your strength to obey Your commands and fight against the wiles of the devil. I need Your power in my life to overcome during my trials of faith. Please be gracious to me and grant my request.
“according to his glorious power”
Your strength comes by way of Your glorious power. Your glorious power was on display in the incarnation of Christ. You sent Jesus into the world to live among sinful man. He took on flesh and was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man. How this could be, I may never know. Nevertheless, it is what Your Word tells me; therefore, I must believe.
Seeing things in Your Word that I cannot explain is a blessing. You are God, and if I could explain everything about You, You would not be God. Instead, You would be the creation of human imagination. But You are God and are high above me. I will never be able to rise to Your heights nor understand Your mighty power in all its fullness. How could the finite ever comprehend the infinite? How could the creation ever begin to fathom the Creator? How could the weak expect to rise to the heights of the Almighty God?
Your glorious power has also been revealed to me in the resurrection of Christ. Your Word has told me that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is available for me. However, I know I must have faith to receive it. When Jesus was in Nazareth, He did not perform many miracles because of their unbelief. On the other hand, when the leper approached Jesus, he claimed, “…if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean” (Matt. 8:2). Jesus responded to his faith and cleansed the man of his leprosy. I also believe You will help me this day according to Your glorious power.
“unto all patience and long-suffering”
I am struck with wonder at Paul’s prayer. He did not pray that the people would be strong and courageous through the mighty power of God, although that would have been an acceptable prayer. He did not pray that the people would be bold witnesses for Your glory, although that would have been a good prayer too. Instead, I read of Paul praying for Your strength to be patient and long-suffering.
When I stop to ponder Paul’s words, I can see the application in my life. It is hard to be patient and long-suffering. When I suffer injustice, I often want to rise for my cause and defend myself. Anger is close at hand when I feel offended. Please help me to be patient and to suffer long. Teach me what having a long rather than a short fuse means. Help me by Your mighty power to keep my composure and honor You from my heart during times of testing.
“with joyfulness”
Father, I pray for joy. I see that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and therefore I plead that Your Spirit would produce joy in my heart. Joy is not a fruit of my own doing or efforts. However, James tells me that I must choose joy during my trials, knowing that You are working in the midst of them.
So often, I can think that joy comes and goes like emotion. But this is not what Your Word tells me. Paul has told me that he was sorrowful yet always rejoicing. Thus, joy, while having an emotional element, is deeper than the coming and goings of emotion. Joy triumphs over emotion through a conviction that there is more to my circumstances than the world would say.
Paul was in prison, yet he rejoiced exceedingly. He looked beyond his present circumstances to eternal realities and was filled with joy. So teach me that I can rejoice always and that it is Your will that I would do so.
“Giving thanks unto the Father”
Father, thank You for the work You have done in my life. Thank you for not giving up on me despite my sin. Thank You for not letting me go, pursuing me, and calling me to Yourself. You have sent Jesus into the world to die for me. You have also told me that He rose for my justification. Thank You for Your Son and His role as my Intercessor. He is awesome and wonderful.
You have been patient with me and have endured much rebellion. You have helped me to grow in Christ and put sin to death. You have led me through trials and blessed me with peaceful times. You have never ceased to be at work and have always worked things for my good. Thank you.
“which hath made us meet”
Paul’s words remind me of Your work. While there are things that I must do, there are also things that You must do. You have sent Your Spirit to be my aid. You are the agent of sanctification, not myself. Your justifying work was all of You and none of me. You have told me that my salvation was a gift and that I have no room to boast. You have truly made me into an ambassador for You despite myself.
You are marvelous and majestic. You are powerful and wise. You have done the seemingly impossible, for with man, salvation is impossible, but with You, all things are possible.
“to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light”
Father, You have adopted me into Your family and declared me to be a son of God. You are not the Father of all, but You have called me to Yourself. You are the Father of the Christian, and when I pray, I am blessed to be able to pray to my Father. When I call out for help, I am blessed yet again to be able to call out to my Father in heaven.
You have called me to Yourself in a relationship that will never be broken. Since You have adopted me, I am also told that I am a recipient of a great inheritance. I cannot fathom what the inheritance might be. However, I can rejoice with the Levites of old that my portion is You.
You are the great reward of heaven, and whatever else You would have for me will not come close to being able to be with You. Therefore, may I never lose sight of the goal of heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.