Just As You Were Instructed

Colossians 2:6-7 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. NASB

Greetings!

We are just a couple of weeks away from the National Day of Prayer on May 5^th! Our staff, thousands of Task Force coordinators and ministry partners are praying through every detail as we prepare to assemble at thousands of gathering across America to join our hearts and voices in praise to, “Exalt the Lord Who Has Established Us.”

Today we continue to pray through our 2022 National Day of Prayer theme verses one thought at a time. This is a great way to study, pray and practice the Word of God; always making sure that we do not take anything out of context and remembering that it is not the goal to get through the Bible but for the Bible to get through to us. We are more apt to memorize verses we read and repeat as well as receiving wisdom, knowledge and understanding from the Spirit – but we will often miss the message, mission and even the joy, of the moments we attempt to hurry through.

It would have been easy to overlook the next few words in our theme verses, but thankfully the Spirit pulled my attention back to them because these words are not just a bridge linking two thoughts together, they are the truth that binds these verses to our life. Sandwiched between two commas are these words, “just as you were instructed,” reminding us that we are being taught every day, throughout our days as disciples of Jesus.

Remember that the Great Commission instructs us to “Go and make disciples,” not just decision-makers. The day you made the decision to believe and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior was the beginning of your journey; born again, starting with a new life in the promise of abundant life that we receive one step and lesson at a time. A disciple is a pupil, a student of Jesus who has never left us to figure things out on our own. He is guiding and teaching us every day if we open our ears, eyes, hearts, and minds to listen and learn from Him. Deep roots do not grow over night, and branches do not bud, bloom, and produce fruit in a day; there is an on-going process to our growing relationship with Jesus.

Take some time now and throughout the days ahead to remember some important lessons you have been taught in life. We learn something new every day, so how has God taken those lessons and strung them like pearls to make something beautiful out of an unexpected or even unwanted event in your life that became something beautiful like an oyster making a pearl from an irritant or intrusive grain of sand.

The experience may have been long and painful but the lesson and change it brought to you, grew your “roots” firmly and built up your relationship in Him to provide a deep, immovable memory that established your faith, making it stronger than when you started and gave you a new courageous and compassionate way of walking through life in Christ. You may have turned these important instructions into simple sayings that have uncommonly strong and significant meaning rooted in Scripture that now light the path of your daily journey. I will share some of mine with you tomorrow on my weekly Friday video on the National Day of Prayer Facebook page and I am sure you will recognize some of them from previous articles. God always teaches the lesson to me before He teaches it through me.

Will you please join me in prayer as we ponder these precious, and possibly painful, lessons we have received from Christ Jesus our Lord?

Jesus, You are our LORD, the Teacher who instructs us, disciples us daily, moment by moment in Your Word, through every test, opportunity, and decision. Thank You for instructing us, leading us to our destiny and for Your caring commands that keep us from destruction. Holy Spirit we cry out for Your help to recognize and respond to Your authority; to stay on the path of good works that has been prepared for us, to learn the lessons and heed them the first time instead of taking the painful path of pride and disobedience. Keep us on the path where You lead us in the light of Your Word and the love of Your heart, and the plans You have authored towards the reward of entering into Your joy. Help us walk just as we were instructed, not partially, but putting every lesson precisely into practice, passing every test, being built up in every trail and triumph as You faithfully continue to establish our faith. In Jesus’ powerful, marvelous, wonderful name we pray, Amen!