Verse of the Day 7/30

Verse of the Day 7/30

Colossians 2:6-7?? As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,??^7??rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.??

New King James Version (NKJV)

As I read through the Bible, day by day, different words will catch my attention, often in relation to things going on in my life or in my mind and my heart.?? Two words stood out as I read these verses.?? First is the word "walk" as it pertains to the Christian life.?? We walk in order to make progress.?? John Bunyan famously wrote of this in his great work "Pilgrims Progress".?? There are ups and downs but the goal, the focus is to move onward and upward in following Christ.

Charles Spurgeon writes, "Walking implies continuance. There must be a perpetual abiding in Christ. How many Christians think that in the morning and evening they ought to come into the company of Jesus, and may then give their hearts to the world all the day: but this is poor living; we should always be with him, treading in his steps and doing his will. Walking also implies habit. When we speak of a man's walk and conversation, we mean his habits, the constant tenor of his life. Now, if we sometimes enjoy Christ, and then forget him; sometimes call him ours, and anon lose our hold, that is not a habit; we do not walk in him. We must keep to him, cling to him, never let him go, but live and have our being in him. "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him"; persevere in the same way in which ye have begun, and, as at the first Christ Jesus was the trust of your faith, the source of your life, the principle of your action, and the joy of your spirit, so let him be the same till life's end; the same when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and enter into the joy and the rest which remain for the people of God. O Holy Spirit, enable us to obey this heavenly precept."

Spurgeon brings up many things to keep in mind such as "continuance" and "perpetual abiding"; "perseverence"; clinging and not letting go and having the joy of the spirit.?? Are these things present in my life??? The need to be, if not, this is a wake up call.

The second word that caught my attention in verse was "abounding".?? It is the picture of overflowing.?? There are time in our lives when trials and the circumstances of everyday life can bring that flow of joy to a trickle; hardly abounding.?? When this happens, we need, once again; to count our blessings; come back to Him; be "re-established" in our faith; draw from those roots that have built you up and restore that thanksgiving.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Colossians 2:6-10??The Passion Translation (TPT)

New Life in Christ

^6??In the same way you received Jesus our Lord and Messiah by faith, continue your journey of faith, progressing further into your union with him!??^7??Your spiritual roots go deeply into his life as you are continually infused with strength, encouraged in every way. For you are established in the faith you have absorbed and enriched by your devotion to him!^[a]

^8??Beware that no one distracts you or intimidates you^[b]??in their attempt to lead you away from Christ???s fullness??by pretending to be full of wisdom when they???re filled with endless arguments of human logic. For they operate with humanistic and clouded judgments based on the mindset of this world system, and not the anointed truths of the Anointed One.

^9??For he is the complete fullness of deity living in human form.??^10??And our own completeness is now found in him. We are completely filled??with God??as Christ???s fullness overflows within us. He is the Head^[c]??of every kingdom and authority in the universe!