Colossians 2:1-5 Hidden Treasure
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: October 2, 2020 Colossians 2:1-5
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
(Understanding the Text) Here is another confirmation that Paul did not start the church at Colossae and never visited there before writing to them. It also tells us that Paul had nothing to do with the church at Laodicea’s beginnings and growth. This letter is the opposite of Philippians. The people at Philippi were Paul’s children in the faith. He knew and loved them intimately. He had labored side-by-side with them. They were mature Christians who Paul considered to be his equal in every way because he knew them through and through from their generosity in supporting his ministry to their loving moral support. On the other hand, the Colossians are an example of Paul’s caring for the success of his Lord’s kingdom. He never met these Christians, but he still prayed for them and worried about them and cared enough to write a letter to send to them.
Paul’s prayers are that the believers should be encouraged and that they should be united with each other in love and that they should know God more and more so that they will have full assurance that they are understanding correctly. Paul is worried that others have come with different views and argued persuasively so that the Colossians might abandon their original faith. It’s interesting that Paul’s way of defending against these disruptors is for the Colossians to know Jesus as much as possible, to be united with each other in love, and to not be discouraged. Thus, our protection is to know Jesus, love each other, and keep up our courage in the face of problems. Our weakness is when we allow life to get us down, when we separate from each other or allow our hearts to disconnect from each other, and when we neglect to connect with Jesus and know Him more and more each day. Paul thinks that it is important for believers to know that there are others out there who care about what happens to them even though they have never met.
Whatever problems the Colossians might have had, Paul thought highly of the firmness of their faith in Christ and their orderliness. He hasn’t really criticized them for anything so far.
(Revelation of God) Paul says that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Jesus. We have no need to try to find secret codes in the Hebrew letters like some Christians that I know. We have no need to look for hidden knowledge in arcane texts. Instead, we have only to study Jesus to find the wisdom of the ages. In Jesus, we see all the wealth of the universe. Too often, we look elsewhere for some kind of change or good fortune, but the only place we need to look is at our Savior.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I need to know You more and more. I need to have a heart united in love to my fellow believers. I need to bring all my discouragements to You. And I need to give encouragement to those who are distant from me. Please be with me today.