He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.  

Colossians 1:13-14

 

How have we arrived where we are? As Paul writes to the Colossians, he summarizes the experience of all believers. Our text is that summary. There are several noteworthy elements to this text. The first of these is that God has been the prime mover in the work of redemption. Our text declares, He has delivered us and conveyed us. This reiterates the concept that salvation is from start to finish, the work of God. We have not delivered ourselves, nor have we conveyed ourselves. It is of the utmost importance that we realize this. We are neither the authors or the finishers of our faith. As Jonah succinctly put it, ‘Salvation is of the LORD.’ The more we appreciate this, the more we will glorify God and magnify Christ. What the eternal Trinity purposed, Christ performed. The Holy Spirit will inevitably apply the redemption purchased by Christ unto all for whom God intends it. All those for whom Christ died shall be redeemed without exception. Therefore we make much of Christ. He is the golden key of redemption. To God alone be the glory. He is worthy.  

Our Wise and Sovereign God, 
we rejoice that You have done all things well. 
We praise You that You have redeemed us. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 

Colossians 1:9 

How shall we pray for each other, especially when it comes to the gaining of knowledge and wisdom? Our text is helpful. Paul has heard good things about the Colossians from his fellow laborer, Epaphras. Epaphras had spoken of their faith in Christ, their love for the saints, and their ‘love in the Spirit.’ This prompted Paul to pray for them. Our text tells us what he prayed on their behalf. Above anything else he prayed that they would ‘be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.’ This would be the inevitable result of the Holy Spirit bringing them to a greater knowledge and understanding of Christ, ‘in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.’ The end result of the work of sanctification is likeness to Christ. This, of necessity, entails a vast increase of wisdom and knowledge as the Holy Spirit renews us completely in His image. Therefore Paul prays wisely for these people who had faith in Christ and love for His people. If he prayed for them thus, we can take notes from him to help us pray more intelligently for one another. Thus we do good to the Body of Christ.   

Our Wise and Gracious God, 
we rejoice that You set examples before us. 
We praise You that we learn from them 
how to minister to one another. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 

James 1:5-6 

How much confidence do we have in God? Do we believe He will do what He has promised? We have been discussing wisdom. The specific kind of wisdom in our text is that which we need in order to navigate the circumstances we encounter every day. For this kind of wisdom God expects us to inquire often, perhaps many times in a day. Situations in life come at us in an unremitting stream. Every day presents us with a plethora of circumstances which require us to act or react. The more we realize our need for wisdom, the more often we will ask for it. God wants us to ask with complete confidence in Him that He will be as good as His promise. Christ said to His disciples, ‘If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.’ This promise of His certainly applies to us as well. On the basis of our text it applies to our requests for wisdom. God wants us to have faith in Him. Our body constantly communicates with our head to guide us aright. So we, the Body of Christ, have every reason to have faith in Christ, Our Head to give us the wisdom we require for all we encounter. 

Our Wise and Wonderful God, 
we rejoice that it is no mistake to trust in You. 
We praise You that as we ask in faith, 
You will do all that we need. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  

James 1:5-8 

God wants us to have utter confidence in Him.  When it comes to the discussion of wisdom, James makes a point of saying that when we ask for wisdom to address a particular situation, we should ask in  faith with no doubting. He goes on to illustrate his point by saying, ‘he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.’ One of the most significant reasons we have for having complete confidence in God to give us wisdom when we ask for it is our vital union with Christ in whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge. Because Christ is our Head and we are His Body, we have an indissoluble union with Him.  What He is and has is ours. If the Head has it, the body has it. If the Body needs it, the Head supplies it. Therefore, when He give us a promise like this we have every reason to have fullness of faith that He will do all He has said. A clear sight of Christ with a good understanding of our relationship with Him will go a long way toward bolstering and increasing our faith. God is as good as His Word.  

Our Glorious, Living Head, 
we rejoice at what You are to us. 
We praise You that You give us, as Your body, 
everything of which we stand in need.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  

James 1:5 

How often may we ask God for wisdom before He loses patience with us? The kind of wisdom we are discussing is what will enable us to navigate the circumstances in life we face daily. These are innumerable. They range from the moral and ethical to the most practical. We are constantly in need of wisdom. Like children, we come to God asking for the same thing over and over again, perhaps many times in one day. Will God grow impatient with us for our repeated asking for this same thing? Our text tells us He will not. God knows we need wisdom. All the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Christ. He knows we are going to be looking to Christ and asking for wisdom often. He declares that He will give us the wisdom for which we ask and not scold us for asking so often. How often in a day does our body communicate with our head in order for us to function in the world? If Christ is our Head and we are His Body, we should expect there to be the same amount of communication. He expects that. Therefore, He does not reproach us when we repeatedly ask for wisdom.  

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice at how willing You are to hear us. 
We praise You that You do not lose patience with us, 
even though we ask You for the same things many times.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning