DaySpring Daily Word of Inspiration: Colossians 3:17 – Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Today we’re able to embark on a simple segment of God’s word and have it applied to our lives. So far this week we’ve been able to examine our prayers to God. First we recognized that our requests should be things that He would will. Next we saw that if He does give us anything, it will be good things that should be used for His purpose of getting people redeemed or brought back to Him so He can save their souls. We also saw that our confidence in our requests assures us that we’ll receive these good things because God wants us to be equipped for every good work. Lastly, there is a way; a channel that has to be established so that our requests make it to God for him to grant. That channel again is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, what next? Well I don’t think any of us will be at a shortage of requests or petitions to make unto God, so if we’re asking for the right things and He’s granting them to us do we just keep these gifts to ourselves?
Our passage today funnels us into the heart that is established through a fruitful, godly desiring prayer life. As God grants us the ability to work in His kingdom, there are two distinct reactions that should be prevalent in you, i.e. your life. The first is recognition. Remember even if we have a “good heart” we are still subject to our own sinful nature which is ALWAYS before us. We will never completely do or display perfection. The recognition I speak of is just that; whatever good you happen to be able to do or muster up is first because of Jesus Christ! In recognizing that fact, we honor Christ by knowing and speaking of how good He was to present a request on our behalf. As being a blessing from God we receive the ability to do a particular work or deed. All good things come from Christ through the channel we examined yesterday. God poured into Christ and Christ poured into us. This is the only way we are able to receive and use God’s goodness in our various works and deeds. Honor Christ when you do them.
Secondly, we react with gratitude. Once again, we as sinful entities aren’t able to be in God presence but because Jesus Christ was obedient to the will of God, His blood sacrifice on the cross rebuilt the bridge that was destroyed so we could be able to go before the Father with our prayers and petitions. So not only should we honor Christ for pouring the gift of a good work into us (the blessing coming down from God), we should send up thanks to God for granting the request through Jesus (sending praise and thanks back up through Christ to God for the ability to use one of His good gifts). It’s a true two-way street but everything goes through Jesus Christ. God gives and Jesus delivers. We sinners receive the blessing, give God thanks through Christ so that it is seen as an acceptable and holy praise (and not a sinful gesture). If our thanks don’t pass through Christ, we are not acknowledging that He did a work to restore a bridge that allows access to and from the throne of God.
Today, before you begin to do anything in your day that is seemingly good, out of character for yourself, or it’s truly been placed on your heart to do, we pray that you stop and think about where this ability came from to do, think, or carry out the good work or deed you’re about to do. Then do it in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and give thanks through Him to our Father God in heaven. Let us honor God and give him thanks in this day and forever more. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!