ThinkOnIt...Is God's Word Dwelling Richly in You?

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:16-17 NKJV

I love this verse! Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, is my favorite part. I first heard this verse at a woman’s retreat a few years ago. It has stuck with me since then. Shouldn’t this be our prayer? Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. We know from 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” When we allow God’s Word to penetrate our being, it changes us and the word of God becomes most treasured and sought after. For me, the more I read, the more I need! What about you? Do you find the more you read, the more you want of God’s Word?

As we just discussed, the first aspect of God’s Word is to “let it dwell in us richly”. Why is it important to allow God’s Word to dwell in us? It’s important for many reasons, but we’re going to look at the just five reasons:
1) That we may be filled with wisdom
2) To be able to teach others about God
3) To admonish and encourage others
4) To worship and praise our God
5) To align our hearts with God’s will How does one obtain wisdom?

First, one must know God. Proverbs 1:7 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Second, one must trust God enough to ask Him. James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Why do we need to teach others about God? God does take pleasure in the death of the wicked. As a result, He wants His Word shared with everyone that they may come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

Encouragement is something everyone needs at one time or another. Look at what Jude 1:19-21 says “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” We need others in our lives to help us keep going, to remind us and to not loose hope, to stay the course and stay alert. Also remember that sometimes we need to be disciplined to bring us back in-line with God’s ways. It’s important to know the Word, so rebuking someone is done with godly love. Galatians 6:1 teaches us: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, consideringyourself lest you also be tempted.”

Worship helps us keep the proper perspective. He is God, we are not. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). From the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:2-4, we see God telling us “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Our God deserves all the glory. He loved us enough to die for us while we were still enemies trapped in sin (Romans 5:8)! Worship and praise should come quite easily to the child of God, who has become to grasp what God has done for them.

Abiding in His love, reading His Word, letting it change us inside continues the process of aligning our will with His will. 1 John 2:5-6 “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

As we let word of Christ dwell in us, the result is that everything we say and do will be done in Jesus’ name for His glory. Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

What about you, are you letting God’s Word dwell in you today?