Friday, October 8, 2021
Worthiness
We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please God in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and[ patience; joyously giving thanks to the Creator, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
It is a simple task to search a Bible Concordance to look for the verses that reference the quality of worth. Both Old and New Testaments give us insight; the letters of Paul alone serve as a springboard for understanding. We might search dictionaries or leaf through entries in a thesaurus to arrive at a better appreciation of what it means to be worthy of God; multiple connotations referencing financial, personal and social worth give us a great deal to ponder.
As we go through our busy days to rest weary heads on tired pillows, we may often wonder about the concept of worth. If we are stressed in our workplace or neighborhood we may feel undervalued or over-used. If we struggle with family difficulty we might speculate about the worth of demanding relationships. In all of this tussling and turmoil there is one sacred place in which we can find rest . . . and St. Paul reminds us of this today.
We have not ceased to pray for you . . . and so we pray for one another.
Be filled with the knowledge of God’s will . . . and so we rest in the knowledge that God sees and understands all that we experience.
Spiritual wisdom and understanding . . . and so we spend time each day asking God for guidance and protection.
Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God . . . and so we witness to the Gospel and look for clarity.
Strengthened with all power . . . and so we look to God for courage.
Attaining steadfastness and patience . . . and so we ask for fidelity and wisdom.
Joyously giving thanks to the Creator . . . and so we thank God for the love placed in us.
We who share in the inheritance of the saints in light . . . and so we thank God for the worthiness engendered in us.
Use the scripture link above to compare various versions of these verses, and ponder the value of worthiness.
Image from: http://gracechurchin.org/sermon/colossians-47-18/
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