“Learn to look up now and then, just in case a piano is falling from overhead.”
~ Richelle E. Goodrich
ISAIAH 48-49
Isaiah gives a prediction of the coming imprisonment of the Israelites in Babylon but comforts them in his words of redemption. He encourages them to stay true and faithful to God.
14But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me.”
15“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
16See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.
COLOSSIANS 4
Paul is vulnerable and reminds the church of his own conviction and why he is in prison. He also reminds them of the importance of loving others outside of the church itself.
2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
JOURNAL
These 4 verses in Colossians are rich with wisdom and application for daily living:
- Be observant
- Be thankful
- Have a mission
- Sacrifice for that mission
- Be wise and clear in affliction
- Love others with grace and candor
- Be prepared
It is so easy for me to gloss over verses sometimes and fail to see the wisdom and depth of meaning. This was one of those moments where I am hit with the "piano" in Paul's words. Every moment, every breath is an opportunity to live life with intention and purpose. Paul is doing that from Prison...bound in chains. Here I sit in the comfort of my home...how much more opportunity do I have to "make the most" of my life? It is easy to forget and easy to justify. It is often only through scripture that I am reminded of true reality.
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