Lectionary Passages for Sunday July 15th

Amos 7:7-17

Psalm 82

Colossians 1:1-14

Luke 10:25-37

Colossians 1:9b-10 says, "We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.  THEN the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.  All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better."

Paul prays that God will give the people of Colosse knowledge of His will and the insight from which to learn from it.  How many times have I known "what" God wanted me to do, but had know idea "why".  The first part of stepping out is with faith of course, but the full measure of growing in God is to begin to understand the "why".  This, for me, usually comes AFTERWARDS!  

For instance; Why did God give me the courage to answer the call to ministry after 17 years?  It has become apparent, to me at least, that the years of struggling with the call were growing times that were necessary to fulfill what God called me to do.  I am now more prepared for God to use.  Not totally prepared of course, that would negate any type of faith.  And things that do not require faith run contrary to how God works.

So I pray Paul's prayer for all of us, "may we know God's will and then be given understanding to learn from it."  It is in the leaning on God and learning His ways that we grow and are equipped for further service.  What a beautiful circle of fulfillment!