Pre-conference Devotional February 28th
Devotional
As I have been asking the Lord for a word of exhortation for our prayer team the words “Christ, who is your life” kept coming to mind. This chapter of Colossians is one of my favorites in all of scripture. Paul's words are a picture of the already not yet kingdom that we are a part of. We have been hidden with Christ at our point of salvation yet we are to finish the work here until He returns or calls us home. At that point we will receive our glorified bodies and will live forever with Him in His kingdom.
In verses five through eleven, Paul tells us what not to do. He challenges us to put off or rid ourselves of the practices of our old selves: (sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.) In verses twelve through seventeen he tells us what to do instead: (clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.) As a visual learner this is a passage that is easy for me to picture as I am praying. I think of what I am putting off as tattered garments that I am laying at the feet of Jesus. As I read through the characteristics we are to put on I imagine them as articles of clothing I am layering on top of one another.
As we enter this next month of prayer for the CCHF conference, what things do you feel you are being called to lay down? What things does Christ want you to clothe yourself in? May each of us set our minds on things above as we do the good works He has called us to do.
