Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
… singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Summary: Understanding this passage leads us to ponder many things in the Bible that have to do with our five senses.
Have you ever wondered why God created singing?
The Old Testament includes many examples of animal sacrifice. (This may seem like a strange way to begin a meditation on singing, but bear with me!)
Continue reading “Colossians 3:16e – Heavenly Music”
[Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly] … through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit,
Summary: When Paul teaches us about Christ, he describes his personal experience with Jesus.
Years ago, I had a key fob with the words, “I sing because I’m happy!” written on it. It made me smile because it was true. Singing and happiness go together.
Of course, you can sing about sad things, too. That is why we have the “blues.”
Actually, both are appropriate for praising God.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:16d – How to Live”
… as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…
Summary: Paul’s words on teaching and admonishing lead us to reflect on what the Lord’s church was intended to be and to meditate on what it might become in the future.
When was the last time you attended a church where the Statement of Beliefs page included these words, “Members are expected to teach and admonish one another with all wisdom”?
I’m guessing the answer is, “Never.”
Continue reading “Colossians 3:16c – Something to Think About”
[Let the message of Christ dwell among you] … richly …
Summary: Experiencing Christ involves separating the wheat from the chaff, or as we say these days, the signal from the noise. Paul wants you to succeed and experience Christ richly.
Is it true that salvation is all about who we know rather than what we know?
Putting the burden of faith on what we know is a common misconception. We know this is true because so many people do it!
Continue reading “Colossians 3:16b – Trust Jesus”Let the message of Christ dwell among you …
Summary: Reading the Bible is fun. Even the simplest little thing seems to open the door to endless insights about our God and his Word.
Each of these meditations is an invitation to join in our journey of exploration. We embrace God’s written Word at face value. We believe that God is real and that if he could make the world and everything in it, he could get a book published, too.
Coming at the Bible this way, we seek to avoid arguments about what people believe about the Bible, and instead, we look to understand and enjoy the message of Christ as it has been handed down over the centuries.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:16a – Got it? “