Author: Kristen Kansiewicz, LMHC

Posted on

Colossians 1:7-10

Take a moment to read Colossians 1:7-10 before reading the devotional below.

We find out more in today’s verses about how Paul learned of the great work happening in Colosse: his co-worker Epaphras. Not much is known about him, though he is also mentioned in the very short letter called Philemon. This mention makes sense because Philemon’s home church was with the Colossians and Epaphras is clearly with Paul at that point.

Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is one that most of us have prayed for ourselves: to know God’s will for our lives. Wouldn’t it be great to just know God’s will in all circumstances? A clear path to light our way? When we have this clarity, we can live wisely, grow in spiritual maturity, honor God, and see the fruit of our spiritual labors.

Here’s your freedom for today: God’s will is not a mystery.

Click To Tweet

Here’s your freedom for today: God’s will is not a mystery. In another of Paul’s letters (this one to the Romans), he illuminates the subject of God’s will. He says that we are to offer our bodies as a kind of living sacrifice. When we do this, we begin to know God’s will. It’s all about changing how we think — moving from the way the world works to the way God’s kingdom works. God has made these things clear to us in his word so that we can follow him. God himself is so infinite and complex that he will always be a mystery to our limited minds. But knowing his will is not a mystery, it simply requires sacrifice of our bodies and minds. Begin today by acknowledging that many (or most!) of your thoughts are unhelpful or just plain wrong. You don’t have it all figured out. You can do less, stop overthinking, and just simply do the basic things described in the Bible. The hardest part is holding still long enough to listen.

Begin today by acknowledging that many (or most!) of your thoughts are unhelpful or just plain wrong.

Click To Tweet
Posted on

Colossians 1:1-6

Take a moment to read Colossians 1:1-6 before reading the devotional below.

Welcome to our new series on the book of Colossians! In this letter, Paul and Timothy are writing to the group of Jesus-followers in the city of Colosse (also spelled “Colossae”). This city is in modern-day Turkey. You can read more helpful background information about this book here. It is believed that Paul had never been to Colosse, and while they may have heard of Paul they did not personally know him.

Paul has heard great things about them. Notice what he highlights: their faith, love, and hope. We know from 1 Corinthians 13:13 that these three things are eternal and will never fade. Paul has obviously heard of expectation of the eternal life that they have gained from hearing the Gospel. In the last verse, Paul lets them know that it’s not just them — this Good News is reaching all of the known world. Colosse was part of a worldwide movement.

Here’s your freedom for today: as a follower of Jesus, you are part of a global revolution.

Click To Tweet

This spans not only geography, but it also spans generations. The same faith, hope, and love that was becoming famous in Colosse has persisted for those who continue to follow Jesus today. Two thousand years’ worth of believers and a current worldwide Church are the carriers of eternal riches. We each hold our small piece that connects to a much larger whole. As a Christian, you are part of something far greater than yourself.

As a Christian, you are part of something far greater than yourself.

Click To Tweet
Posted on

Ezekiel 48

Ezekiel 48:35 – “The distance around the entire city will be 6 miles. And from that day the name of the city will be ‘The Lord Is There.’”

Read the full chapter here.

If you’ve been reading Ezekiel every day throughout this series, congratulations!! Join me in feeling accomplished for having explored a really complex book in the Old Testament. It is my prayer that you have reflected more deeply on God’s character throughout the past month and a half. (And if you missed any days, you can always go back and search by category to re-read any past series.)

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Ezekiel’s end is boring and anticlimactic. It’s a whole bunch of measurements and divisions of land, and it reads a bit like a surveyor’s report. Keep in mind, however, that wars have been fought and are being fought over the land in Israel, so perhaps we shouldn’t gloss over the dimensions and boundary lines. I will bring this series to a close with the last words of the last verse in this final chapter: The Lord Is There.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God’s is actively involved in the world.

With all the suffering and evil in the world, we might look around and ask, “Where is God, anyway?” The answer: The Lord is There. Think back on all the suffering, oppression, and evil God obliterated in the book of Ezekiel. In the end, he brought his people back to himself, foretold of a future time in which a special prince and priests will lead the people towards the heart of God, and revealed that his presence will be the last word. When you get discouraged by all the bad news around you, read Ezekiel again. Remember how God deals with evil and suffering. Remember that he holds oppressive rulers and abusers accountable. Remember that he never abandons his people. He is actively involved in bringing things to right, in your life and in the world. Take heart, he is overcoming and has already overcome.

Invite your friends to join us tomorrow as we start a new series!

Posted on

Ezekiel 47

Ezekiel 47:12 – “Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.”

Read the full chapter here.

These final chapters of Ezekiel tell of a time that is still yet to come. He is seeing a vision of things God will do, and the exact timeline isn’t clear. Verse 12, highlighted above, sounds a lot like John’s vision in Revelation 22:1-3. In both passages, we see a river flowing, with fruit growing along its banks. Healing is available through these trees along the riverbanks.

This image is interesting to me, particularly in light of the graphic, violent imagery we have read in the book of Ezekiel. Is God double-minded? Does he hate and kill, and then at other times love and heal? How are we to make sense of this God?

Here’s your freedom for today:

God’s heart is always for healing.

God does not sometimes hate and kill, while other times seeming to love or heal. He is not two-faced, nor does he have mixed motives. His goal is always the same: healing. Repeatedly throughout this book we have seen that God’s anger is directed to abusive, evil rulers who have oppressed their people. He is angry when his people worship other gods because he knows there is nothing but evil in that practice. Only God, this God of the Bible, has the power to heal and restore. Only his kingdom has these rivers of healing, flowing through the streets. He will drive everything out that threatens that healing, because you are worth protecting. Come sit by his river today, imagining a world in which you are fully healed, safe, and whole.

Posted on

Ezekiel 46

Ezekiel 46:1-2 – “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘The east gateway of the inner courtyard will be closed during the six workdays each week, but it will be open on Sabbath days and the days of new moon celebrations. The prince will enter the entry room of the gateway from the outside. Then he will stand by the gatepost while the priest offers his burnt offering and peace offering. He will bow down in worship inside the gateway passage and then go back out the way he came. The gateway will not be closed until evening.'”

Read the full chapter here.

Since chapter 40, we’ve been reading Ezekiel’s vision of a future time that seems to still be future even for us now. In the book of Revelation the Bible describes the creation of a new heaven and a new earth where God will restore everything. We’ve seen reference to a “prince” in the last few chapters, and it’s highlighted here today so we can examine it more closely.

Scholars seem to agree that the “prince” is not Jesus, as there are references to him making a sin offering for himself and the people. Jesus was without sin, so he would not need to offer a sin sacrifice for himself. You can read more information here. We also know that what we are reading comes before God’s new heaven and new earth, as all sin will be wiped away. There will no longer be a need for sacrifices. Some people believe based on interpretations of biblical prophecies that there will be a period of tribulation or trial prior to Jesus’ return to earth. It’s possible that we are reading a picture of that time period.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God reveals himself through stories and visions.

I find it fascinating and exciting that God shows us parts of himself through stories and visions. Sometimes the stories of the Bible are a literal retelling of facts, and sometimes they are visions of symbolic things that reveal something deeper about God. In this case, Ezekiel’s vision may be largely symbolic. Will there be an actual prince that will rise up during the end times in a Temple building that looks just like the one we’ve been reading about? Some people would say yes. Others would say that there is deeper symbolic meaning in what we read here. There’s no way to know for sure. But it’s interesting to me that God’s process in the future is a lot like his systems of the past — God is in charge with a prince and priests that lead the people in worship of him. There’s an order to it that is vastly different from other gods, religions, and sacrifice rituals. Whatever this passage might mean, it continues to show us that God is unlike anyone or anything we’ve ever known.