All in Spiritual Growth
I watched my husband and our daughter paddle out into the surf in a kayak. They moved through the water to look at the array of fish under them. At times they stopped paddling, but they did not stop moving. Sometimes they drifted further away from where they wanted to go. It required intentional effort to move in the right direction. To go where they wanted to go, they had to pursue it. Just drifting was not going to be enough.
Sugar. Butter. A little water. These are the basic ingredients for making scrumptious English Toffee. I’ve been making toffee for about thirty five years. The recipe is simple, yet it doesn’t always work consistently.
Ladies, one more clue to follow this week as we unravel divine mystery. We are on our way to experiencing the full riches of complete understanding that Paul wishes for us. Knowing Christ is the essential element—Christ the divine, the reality; Christ in you, the hope of glory. It’s in Christ that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. Let’s do a little digging.
After years of being away, Jacob was headed home with his family and possessions. As he neared Canaan, he was told that Esau was coming toward him with 400 men. Jacob and Esau had not parted on good terms. Was Esau coming for revenge?
A wedding. A shortage of wine. A need presented to Jesus by His mother, followed by anticipation of an answer. The disciples who accompanied Jesus to the wedding watched His every move. What would He do? What could be done to save this couple from humiliation at the onset of their marriage?
Several years ago my cousin and his wife bought a fifty-year-old ranch style home. In spite of its dated interior, they loved the house and envisioned what it could become.
Have you ever ice-skated ladies? Could you now? I had a rude awakening a couple of years ago when my grandsons persuaded me to join the family free-skate time the winter they played hockey. Confident I could glide around the rink with grace, I laced up my boots and stepped onto the ice. After all, I was on skates at the age of three; but neither glide nor grace were to be. Luckily I did get around the rink, hugging the boards.
A few months ago I came across a plant sale. Most of the plants on this rack looked a little pathetic. However, some rose trees in the back caught my eye. There were no roses, only some slightly yellowed leaves on a couple of tiny trees. Most people had passed on them because they were not very remarkable. I then remembered a friend’s rose tree.
The other day I was taking off my jewelry, and I must have pulled too hard on my ring. It flew off the end of my finger when I pulled it over my knuckle. I heard it hit the carpet. I immediately got on my hands and knees to look for my ring. I must have looked for 20 minutes before I decided to stop and try again later. After looking later, I still could not find my ring. I knew it was there, and I also knew that I would find it with continued searching.
Once my daughter and a friend of hers got into a little disagreement. As I asked the girls what the problem was, each girl began telling her side of the story . . . simultaneously. When they realized that neither was backing down, each girl spoke louder and louder. My son was standing right beside me, and his observation was, "That's too many words!" I laughed and had to agree.
All dressed up in your virtues? Looking for the perfect place to go to shower love on everyone? Look no further than your daily routines. Wherever you go, you live worthy of the Lord by working at whatever you do with all your heart. Now isn’t that just too simple?
Yesterday Paul left me contemplating the vice grip of self and the need to put to death—to mortify—my earthly nature. And today, his solution—change my wardrobe? Hmm.
Paul’s prayer for my being filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9) has challenged me, ladies, to read on for the specifics. Paul is not one to leave his readers hanging for long. If he’s noticed a problem, he’s sure to venture a solution.
Ladies, don’t you just love the apostle Paul’s flair for the dramatic? In this truly classic letter to his friends in Colosse, he first thanks God for their stellar reputation of faith and love based on eternal hope (Colossians 1:5). He then hits them squarely between the eyes with the enormous challenge of living worthy of the Lord in order to please him in every way.
We never heard a sound and there was no visible evidence left behind. My newly planted marigolds had mysteriously been stripped of all their foliage. My flowerbed looked like rows of lemon lollipops—flowers on bare stalks. Within days, the vibrant blossoms withered. Their source of life had been consumed. I stood dumbstruck. By the time I figured out what happened it was too late.
My friend was having difficulties getting her 7-year-old daughter up and ready for school in the mornings. After repeatedly asking her daughter to do her morning routine, she decided she had enough.
Once my daughter and a friend of hers got into a little disagreement. As I asked the girls what the problem was, each girl began telling her side of the story . . . simultaneously.
The other day I was taking off my jewelry, and I must have pulled too hard on my ring. It flew off the end of my finger when I pulled it over my knuckle. I heard it hit the carpet.
For the past two fall seasons, I’ve experienced severely dry eyes. Raw, irritated and red. Most of the time I just want to close them.
