Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Colossians 1:1-14 (ESV)
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Why are faith and love products of faith?
Lord, I thank You that You are with me. With additional bad news yesterday of the extended quarantine orders, I have faith that You will walk me through this valley of isolation, disappointment, and hardship. During adversity, it is easy to feel abandoned. Help me to see You in the midst of the pain. The more that I focus on You, the more I recognize what You have done for me out of Your great love for me while I didn’t deserve it. You promised that You would never leave me or forsake me and that You would provide a place for me in heaven. I trust Your Word and it gives me hope. Because of my faith in You, my heart swells with gratitude as it is filled with Your love. Help me to take my attention off of myself, my fears for the economy, my concerns for the sick, and pray for all those who are struggling as they go through this tough time. As I stand firm in my faith in You, help me to reach out and show them Your love to comfort them and give them hope. Fill me with Your spiritual wisdom and understanding to walk in a manner pleasing to you so that I can bear fruit as I share Your Love with others and help them with their needs. Give me faith, endurance, and patience. Lord help me to maintain an attitude of gratitude, praising You for who You are and thanking You for what You have done for me. Amen