I’ve been away from writing daily devotionals here for some time. If you follow me on social media or receive my email letters, you know I have launched a new book this past May (Behind the Badge: 365 Daily Devotions for Law Enforcement) and finished a new book the same month. The new book releases January 1, but I have shipped nearly 1,000 copies to those who ordered the advance release of Bulletproof Marriage: a 90 Day Devotional co authored with my friend and brother in Christ, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. My apologies for the sabbatical. I am wrapping up my 5th book now (On Spiritual Combat) and it is slated for release December 2019.
Colossians 3:16 has been stirring in my heart for some time. The “word of Christ”; what does that mean? The “word of Christ” as used in this context, is from the Greek word legó. When you first read this passage, it seems as it refers to a subject, a “thing”, if you will. But, this phrase is actually a verb. It is a living, breathing, word. Look at James 1:21, the “engrafted word.” The “word of Christ” in Colossians 3:16 replaces the commoner phrases of “the word of the Lord” or the “word of God.” For the “word of Christ” to be effective in our lives, it must first be engrafted in our hearts. Meaning, it must be first conceived in our hearts (hearing, reading), taking root in our hearts (worship, study, prayer, Holy Spirit), and then our hearts become the dwelling place for the “word of Christ.” Then, when the living word of Christ is firmly established in our hearts, the mess of this world will be something we overcome. Not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God, by His living Word.
Think of it this way. A seed sown by a farmer is the anticipated harvest. If the seed sown is dead or toxic seed, there will be no harvest. If the seed sown is not properly cared for, the harvest will be tainted. The harvest of God’s word in our hearts is something that results from relationship with the Father through His Son, Jesus. Friends, we are easily defeated in life’s battles now because we lack the meat of God’s word in our heart. We’ve, for too long, settled for negotiating with sin, negotiating with compromise, and would rather ingest the diluted message of the Cross, instead of seeking for His word to be engrafted in our hearts. It is the heart of man that is toxic, the heart of man without Christ, the heart of man without the living Word, the heart of man that seeks his own way.
If we are to see a global move of God, it begins with One. It begins with the One who paid it all establishing a dwelling place in our hearts, and we allow Him to transform who we are, what we desire, and our willingness to be obedient to His Word. There is eternal power in the Word of God, and the evils of this world do not stand a chance when the Body of Christ operates in the fullness of power found through the Word of God.
Need an idea of how to get started? Check out the YouVersion Bible App. There are tons of resources, daily bible readings, and it’s right at your fingertips.
Here are a few more helpful articles for your consideration:
How to Start Reading the Bible Every Day & Stick With It-Lifeway
How can I make reading the Bible a habit?-Christianity Today
How to Study the Bible-Focus on the Family
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16
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