....December 7
Today’s Reading: Colossians 1–4
Scripture Focus 🙌
Reflection
When I look at the believers in Colossae — and then later at the church in Laodicea — I see a powerful truth: you can have every spiritual advantage and still drift from Jesus if you stop walking closely with Him.
Paul loved these believers. He saw their faith, their love, and their confident hope. He saw how sincerely they had received the gospel. He saw their hunger for truth and the good fruit already growing in their lives. And he prayed heaven over them — wisdom, understanding, power, endurance, patience, joy, and deep spiritual knowledge.
They had everything they needed in Christ.
But Laodicea shows us what happens when people stop continuing in what they once knew so well. They slowly shifted from relationship to religion. They began depending on themselves instead of depending on Christ. They lost their sense of awe. They forgot the miracle of being rescued from darkness. They were no longer overflowing with thankfulness.
And once thankfulness fades, lukewarmness begins.
That’s why Paul kept saying,
“Continue to follow Him… Let your roots grow down into Him… Don’t let anyone capture you…” (Col. 2:6–8)
Colossians teaches us something essential to our walk with Jesus:
Spiritual blessings are not automatic — they must be walked in.
We must remain surrendered.
We must remain teachable.
We must remain dependent.
We must remain thankful.
This is the message the Holy Spirit has been pressing on my heart all year:
A heart overflowing with thankfulness guards your love for Jesus and keeps your walk alive.
Thankfulness keeps your eyes on grace, not self-effort.
Thankfulness guards your heart from pride and distraction.
Thankfulness keeps relationship at the center instead of religion.
Laodicea didn’t fall because no one prayed for them…
They fell because they stopped walking in the very blessings they had been given.
They forgot what Jesus had done for them.
And when thankfulness died, so did their passion.
Colossians calls us back to the simplicity and strength of abiding:
Stay rooted.
Stay surrendered.
Stay amazed at Christ.
Stay thankful — deeply, constantly, overwhelmingly thankful — for the salvation He purchased with His own blood.
Everything we need is found in Him alone.
Lesson for Me
To walk strong in Christ, I must not drift into self-reliance or religion. I must stay rooted in Jesus, dependent on His Spirit, guided by His Word, and full of gratitude. The blessings of salvation are lived out when I continue in Him daily.
Application Questions
Prayer 🙏
Lord Jesus, thank You for rescuing me from darkness and transferring me into Your Kingdom. Thank You for forgiveness, freedom, and the inheritance I have in You. Help me stay rooted in You — not in myself, not in religion, not in empty philosophies. Keep my heart tender, humble, and overflowing with thankfulness. Strengthen me with Your glorious power so that I live a life that honors You and bears fruit for Your glory. Amen.
Journaling Reminder
Sit quietly with Jesus. Ask Him to show you where your heart has drifted into self-reliance or routine. Let Him speak to you about returning to a place of deep thankfulness, dependence, and daily abiding in Him. Write what He puts on your heart.
Today’s Reading: Colossians 1–4
Scripture Focus 🙌
“So we have not stopped praying for you… We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord… and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.
All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better…
He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people…
For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”
Colossians 1:9–14 (NLT)
Reflection
When I look at the believers in Colossae — and then later at the church in Laodicea — I see a powerful truth: you can have every spiritual advantage and still drift from Jesus if you stop walking closely with Him.
Paul loved these believers. He saw their faith, their love, and their confident hope. He saw how sincerely they had received the gospel. He saw their hunger for truth and the good fruit already growing in their lives. And he prayed heaven over them — wisdom, understanding, power, endurance, patience, joy, and deep spiritual knowledge.
They had everything they needed in Christ.
But Laodicea shows us what happens when people stop continuing in what they once knew so well. They slowly shifted from relationship to religion. They began depending on themselves instead of depending on Christ. They lost their sense of awe. They forgot the miracle of being rescued from darkness. They were no longer overflowing with thankfulness.
And once thankfulness fades, lukewarmness begins.
That’s why Paul kept saying,
“Continue to follow Him… Let your roots grow down into Him… Don’t let anyone capture you…” (Col. 2:6–8)
Colossians teaches us something essential to our walk with Jesus:
Spiritual blessings are not automatic — they must be walked in.
We must remain surrendered.
We must remain teachable.
We must remain dependent.
We must remain thankful.
This is the message the Holy Spirit has been pressing on my heart all year:
A heart overflowing with thankfulness guards your love for Jesus and keeps your walk alive.
Thankfulness keeps your eyes on grace, not self-effort.
Thankfulness guards your heart from pride and distraction.
Thankfulness keeps relationship at the center instead of religion.
Laodicea didn’t fall because no one prayed for them…
They fell because they stopped walking in the very blessings they had been given.
They forgot what Jesus had done for them.
And when thankfulness died, so did their passion.
Colossians calls us back to the simplicity and strength of abiding:
Stay rooted.
Stay surrendered.
Stay amazed at Christ.
Stay thankful — deeply, constantly, overwhelmingly thankful — for the salvation He purchased with His own blood.
Everything we need is found in Him alone.
Lesson for Me
To walk strong in Christ, I must not drift into self-reliance or religion. I must stay rooted in Jesus, dependent on His Spirit, guided by His Word, and full of gratitude. The blessings of salvation are lived out when I continue in Him daily.
Application Questions
- What blessings in Christ am I forgetting or taking for granted?
- Where am I tempted to rely on myself instead of staying rooted in Jesus?
- How has thankfulness (or lack of thankfulness) shaped my spiritual life recently?
- What “well-crafted arguments” or worldly ideas do I need to reject so my faith stays anchored in Christ?
- How can I intentionally “continue to follow Him” in my daily routines, decisions, and mindset?
Prayer 🙏
Lord Jesus, thank You for rescuing me from darkness and transferring me into Your Kingdom. Thank You for forgiveness, freedom, and the inheritance I have in You. Help me stay rooted in You — not in myself, not in religion, not in empty philosophies. Keep my heart tender, humble, and overflowing with thankfulness. Strengthen me with Your glorious power so that I live a life that honors You and bears fruit for Your glory. Amen.
Journaling Reminder
Sit quietly with Jesus. Ask Him to show you where your heart has drifted into self-reliance or routine. Let Him speak to you about returning to a place of deep thankfulness, dependence, and daily abiding in Him. Write what He puts on your heart.