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November | November 23, 2016
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
We’ve been studying Colossians 1:9-12 on how Paul prayed for a cycle of growth to be experienced by the Colossian Christians. He began by praying that they would know God’s will. Then that they do God’s will. Recognizing from his own experience that sheer will power is not enough, he prayed they would depend upon the Holy Spirit to enable their obedience.
Listen to verse 11: “Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.” The cumulative force of these words is this: as we sense God’s power at work within us we will by faith be strengthened and empowered to obey. We must therefore depend on God’s Spirit who dwells within us for His enabling power to do what we know is God’s will. This is the third phase of the cycle of growth.
When we depend upon God we’ll find we have great endurance and patience. The commentator Trench explains: “Patience will be found in respect of persons, endurance in respect of things.” In other words, as we depend upon the Spirit of God in our obedience and are opposed or ill-treated by people, He will enable us to patiently press on. The same is true when we face obstacles or anything that might hinder us in our obedience. He will enable us to endure. Satan will throw people and things in our way, and at times it can become rather brutal, but the Spirit enables us to endure patiently and persevere in doing God’s will. Always depend on His power as you do His will.
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