Songs of Praise

"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16, NASB).

In this verse, Christians are challenged to let God's Word dwell richly inside of them and to give thanks to God. If a dwelling is a place to live and reside, then we are to let these words not just pass through our ears but to take root inside us. As it takes root deep within us, penetrating our core with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can overflow with thanks for what He is doing within us.

Martin Luther once prayed, 

"Grant that I may not pray with my mouth alone; 

help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart." 

Let us let God in, savor His Word, and overflow with thankfulness. Let's praise Christ for all that He is, and let us pray His Word penetrates our hearts, flows through our veins, and brings life to those around us. We can praise God, because He loved us while we were still sinners. He came to bring life and light to the world. Hopefully, this deep relationship with Him is or becomes an essential part of our lives.

Lord, thank You for creating us, for saving us and for being our Guide. After all is said and done, let our lives be filled with worship and thankfulness to You. Amen.

Check out an acoustic version of Crowder's song, "Holy" on YouTube here.
Study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).

A New Heart: Thankfulness

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful" (Colossians 3:15b, NASB).

Count your blessings. What are you thankful about today? I'm thankful for family, friends and great sunsets like the one pictured. We can celebrate all the ways God has blessed us today. Just having a relationship with Him is a blessing.

Count on Him. The peace of Christ is a confidence in God and His Word. We can believe God loves us, that He sent Christ to pay the price for our sins and that God's forgiveness lasts. This pardoning love brings a peaceful relationship with the Lord, who is life-giving and in control over all things. We can let this peace rule in our hearts, whether it's a good or a challenging day. There is this joy we can find in putting our trust in God above all else.

Count others in - contagious thankfulness. When we have this relationship with God, we are a part of this one body, the church, a family of people who also believe in God's saving grace. We can walk in faith and encourage each other to persevere together in our trust in Him. Hopefully, this thankfulness overflow into our lives so much that it is contagious. We can pray that, by the Holy Spirit, others may see just how great our Savior King is.

Lord, thanks for being One who sacrifices, forgives, redeems and renews. You are full of faithfulness, goodness and truth. Thank You for giving us fellow believers who also understand this walk with You. Grow thankfulness and peace in our hearts, and help us point others to You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father" (Colossians 3:17, NASB). 

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Check out the song, "I Smile" by Kirk Franklin - www.youtube.com.

Throwing out the old: Filthy language

"And there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks" (Ephesians 5:4, New American Standard Bible).

Have you heard the story of Erin Brockovich-Ellis? While she was working as a law clerk, she discovered an entire community had been drinking dangerously contaminated water. This courageous woman, along with the law firm she worked with, helped the community stand up for their rights for pure water, which, you know, assists in healthy growth and development.

[Photo by Fernando Fidalgo]

Words that break others' honor and that show disrespect are muddied and contaminated in a way similar to the water that Erin discovered. Do words we find ourselves using words that cause good health? Sometimes, it can be much easier to reflect our feelings in the moment, and that can be muddied without God's help in the mix.

As believers and followers of Christ, we are a part of His family. He wants to work in us through the Holy Spirit, helping us give thanks with our words instead of words that are muddied and can dishonor His creation.  Let our words praise Him, no matter the situation, because He is God and has redeemed us into living life near to Him. Let us pray our witness to the world, of who God is, be clear in our words.

Lord, do a great work in us. Let our speech show our thankfulness to You, as well as our love and respect for others. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from Fidalgo's site, city-of-tomar.com.