8/23 Colossians 2:6-7
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.
OBEDIENCE
I cannot grow if I am disobedient. Today I want to grow therefore I will obey the Lord. It is helpful that we focus on Jesus. Forget the sins that so easily entangle us and focus on Jesus. His guidance as we focus on Him will untangle our sin, call us to repentance and a closer walk with HIM. Remember that focusing on our sin will only entice us to sin more. Focusing on Jesus will pull us out of our sin and into a closer relationship with HIM. When we walk with Jesus we will not be involved in sin.

8/22 Colossians 2:3-5
In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling you this so that no one will be able to deceive you with persuasive arguments. For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I am very happy because you are living as you should and because of your strong faith in Christ.
CHRIST
Jesus is Lord. He lives in us if we are in the family of God. When we face difficulty decisions Jesus will give us the wisdom and knowledge we need to make a good decision. He will not let us be overwhelmed. He will give us the strength to face the day. The power of Christ dwells in us. Claim His power and ask Him to guide you.

8/21 Colossians 2:2
My goal is that they will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have full confidence because they have complete understanding of God’s secret plan, which is Christ himself.
TOGETHER
Service to the Lord is a community service. Each one of us is charged with the responsibility of helping each other. Together we serve the Lord. There are no Lone Rangers in the family of God-we are brothers and sisters of Jesus. He is our Lord and Savior.

8/20 Colossians 2:1
I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other friends who have never known me personally.
CONCERN
Paul is concerned for those Christians he knows and for those that he doesn’t know. His concern is broad and yet specific for each one he is remembering before the Lord. It is good for us to develop a habit of concern for people especially those who are along with us part of the family of God. Spend some time today thinking about and praying about the church at large. Pray changes things especially us.

8/19 Psalm 9:19-20
Arise, O LORD! Do not let mere mortals defy you! Let the nations be judged in your presence! Make them tremble in fear, O LORD. Let them know they are merely human. Interlude
FEAR
Our Lord God Almighty is a God that should make people shake with fear especially those that are not in His family. The fool in his heart says there is no god. This does not shake the Lord. God is God and He is eternal. The Lord will bring everyone and every nation to the bar of justice and in that day all accounts will be settled. Eternity begins now but it lasts forever.

8/18 Psalm 9:18
For the needy will not be forgotten forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.
LOVED
We struggle every day. The Lord is always aware of what is going on in our life. He will never forget our struggles and will walk with us through each one of them. The poor struggle and suffer more than we can realize. All of God’s children are taken care of it is just so difficult for us in our limited wisdom to reconcile the plight of the poor and the LOVE of the Lord. The key for us is to remember that God is a good God and He always does what is right. GOD LOVES YOU.

8/17 Psalm 9:17
The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
JUSTICE
God will mete out justice. This is not our responsibility. We live daily striving to serve and grow. One of the real obstacles of growth in our spiritual life is to get wound up trying to decide how “justice is going to be served.” This is something we cannot understand. What we do understand is that God is good and everything He does is good; and we can trust the Lord that all He is doing is in our best interest. Then we move along in our daily life. Bad things happen, remember God is good. Good things happen, God is good. Live life with a growing awareness that God is good. This keeps us on the right track.

8/16 Psalm 9:15-16
The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. They have been caught in their own trap. The LORD is known for his justice. The wicked have trapped themselves in their own snares. Quiet Interlude
JUSTICE
Do the next right thing. Do not look to the right or to the left but instead look to the Lord always. Ask Him what you should do and then do it. Be quick to serve and slow to condemn. Trust the Lord that He will provide justice and doesn’t need our advice. Do the next right thing.

8/15 Psalm 9:13-14
LORD, have mercy on me. See how I suffer at the hands of those who hate me. Snatch me back from the jaws of death. Save me, so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates, so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.
LIFE
Life is precarious and is like a vapor. One minute we are healthy and strong and then it seems as though only a few moments and we are sickly and weak. Life is brief. The Lord shepherds us through our entire life. Only the Lord knows the day and hour that we will go from this life to the next. He will rescue us whatever we face so that we can truthfully say that nothing can destroy us. We will be with the Lord from this day forever more.

8/14 Psalm 9:11-12
Sing praises to the LORD who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds. For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore those who cry to him for help.
PRAISE
Praise the Lord. He reigns. He cares. God is good. He loves you and wants to be involved in your life. Praise the Lord for He is worthy of all praise. He will hear you when you cry out. Praise the Lord.