S – “And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land”

Jonah 1:9 CSB

O – In the midst of the storm, Jonah identifies himself by his nationality and that he is afraid of God (Jehovah – the name of the God of Israel). He reaffirms this by saying God again (’ĕlôhı̂ym:  the supreme God).  Then he states that God is the creator of the sea and dry land.  The two entities the sailors are contending with at the moment.  These sailors feared God, made sacrifices to Him and made vows at the end of the chapter.

A – Hearing Jonah’s description of who he is is surprising yet we do this as well.  He says that he is devoted to God in his identity of who he is and who God is.  Yet, he is running.  He is knowingly disobedient to God’s plan and purpose.  Yet, he is at peace with the storm he knows he created.  Only when he surrenders to the chaos God is allowing to happen, is peace restored…which leads to the sailors experiencing God.  We can’t run from God.  As scary as his calling is, we need to obey.

R – Lord, your calling is real and it can be scary.  Yet, you promise to go with us through the Holy Spirit.  Give us the courage to obey today.  Give us the ability to take the next step that you have for us.  We trust that as we do that, we will have a peace that calms the storms and that others will be drawn to you.

S – Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

Colossians 4:6 CSB

O – Two concepts:

1.  Gracious:  Your words should have the attributes of undeserved favor.  Humility, not proud, forgiving and forbearance.

2. Seasoned with salt:  Your words should enhance the flavor and pull out the essence of the concept being discussed without changing the concept.  Salt preserves, adds flavor, stabilizes and binds.

A – I need to have an attitude of grace when I am speaking.  Remembering that I received grace, I need to extend grace as I talk with others.  My words should bring depth and meaning to the conversation.  I can share with conviction my thoughts and value someone enough to hear theirs even when I don’t agree.  Agreement isn’t the goal…relationship is.

R – Lord, start with me in my conversations today.  Let my words align with my growing relationship with you.  Let me come from a place of humility and not judgment.  I will speak the truth in love, respecting and valuing everyone I converse with today. 

S – Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful

Colossians 3:14–15 CSB

O – In Paul’s list of virtues, love transcends all of them.  It is the glue that holds all of it together.  Out of love comes peace, which rules our thoughts and feelings.  Even as we interact with each other, we can have peace.  The list continues with gratitude.

A – Paul appears to be just spouting off things that come to his mind.  Yet, there is a progression.  If we walk in love, it brings us together in a relationship.  If Christ is the center of those relationships, there will be peace because of the love and direction He gives us.  To walk in peace is counterintuitive to our human nature which results in gratitude.  This should make us want to love more…

R – Lord, I am grateful for the love you have shown to me.  Help me to give that to others.  Relationships can be messy.  When they are, let me invite you into them so that I can walk in peace.  In doing so, thank you for showing me your ways are better than mine.  It makes me love you even more.

S – He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him

 Colossians  2:14–15 CSB 

O – Jesus canceled our debt of sin and any opposition against us. There is no entity that is greater than him.

A – The challenge we have when we sin or don’t measure up in God is usually the disappointment and distance we feel.  We don’t see how God can forgive.  We focus on our inability to beat sin or temptation.  What a great encouragement to see the solution for sin is always there.  When the challenge or entity looks bigger than us, it is never bigger than Him.

R – Lord, I am fully human and capable of doing your will and my own.  I will do my best to align with your purposes and words in the Bible.  When I fall short, thank you for the death and resurrection of Jesus.  I know that I can be forgiven and restored when I come back to you in repentance.  Thank you for loving me so much that I can walk in this confidence.

S – God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

Colossians  1:27  CSB

O – Two big concepts in the early church.  First, Gentiles were part of the kingdom of God.  Secondly, God would be in man through salvation and the Holy Spirit.  The hope of glory is the fulfillment of God’s promise to restore us and all creation (see Romans 8:19–21 and 1 Peter 5:10).   This is crucial to the establishment of the early church.

A – I am grateful that I live today with a relationship with Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit.  I am in the restoration process of my sinful nature changing to Godly character.  Thankful that God doesn’t give up on me in the process.

R – Lord, thank you that my journey is a lifetime.  In that time, namely, today, let me become more like you.  I am grateful that you loved me enough to send Jesus and the Holy Spirit to save and empower me in my journey.  Let today be another step closer to you.

S – Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things

Philippians 4:8 CSB

O  – Commentary:

whatever. In the Greek “whatever” is plural, which suggests that several things could be included under each heading.

True (alēthē) things are of course the opposite of dishonest and unreliable things (cf. Eph. 4:15, 25). Noble refers to what is dignified and worthy of respect (this word semna is used in the NT only here and in 1 Tim. 3:8, 11; Titus 2:2).

Right refers to conformity to God’s standards.

Pure (hagna) refers to what is wholesome, not mixed with moral impurity.

Lovely (prosphilē, occurring only here in the NT) speaks of what promotes peace rather than conflict.

Admirable (euphēma, also used only here) relates to what is positive and constructive rather than negative and destructive.

A – The spiritual battle starts in the mind.  Our thoughts is the front lines of attack from the enemy.  Using the list above, we have a great list of qualifiers of what how we should be thinking and what we should ponder.

R – Lord, my mind covers a lot of thoughts in one day.  Help me today to align my thinking with these things.  Let me win the battle of the mind so I can go into all of my conversations and situations with truth and purity that honors you.

S – Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, ¹⁴ I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you

Philippians 3:13–15 CSB

O – After listing his qualities as a Jewish leader, Paul says he hasn’t accomplished what God has for him. He gives a great call to “neglect, overlook” what is in the past and stretch forward to what is before us.  God’s call on our life is found in front of us.  Those who are more experienced will have this mindset.

A – Our past is always there with a message.  It can emphasize how good or bad we were in a prior moment.  Once that has occurred, it is there in our memory.  We need to grow in our relationship with Christ where our past doesn’t slow us down or puff us up.  The three elements of God are faith, love and hope.  Love is present and the other two deal with the future.  Today, we need to forgive or learn from the past and express love in the present.  We grow from a “future” mindset.

R – Lord, you know my past.  The times I have sinned, let you down and been forgiven.  You also know when I have “won” in a challenge.  Let all of my past be a building block for my ability to demonstrate your love today.  I look with great expectations to what you have before me.  I submit to your will today.

S – Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves

Philippians 2:3 CSB

O –

“Selfish ambition” – ĕrithĕia,  intrigue, i.e. (by impl.) faction:— contention (-ious), strife.

“conceit” – kĕnŏdŏxia, empty glorying, i.e. self-conceit:— vain-glory.

“humility” – tapĕinŏphrŏsunē,  humiliation of mind, i.e. modesty:— humbleness of mind, humility (of mind, loneliness (of mind).

“consider” – hēgĕŏmai, to lead, i.e. command (with official authority); fig. to deem, i.e. consider:— account, (be) chief, count, esteem, governor, judge, have the rule over, suppose, think.

“important” – hupĕrĕchō, to hold oneself above, i.e. (fig.) to excel; part. (as adj. or neut. as noun) superior, superiority:— better, excellency, higher, pass, supreme.

A – I am not supposed to think, speak or act in a way that centers on my acrimony, strife or conceited praise.  Instead, I must humble myself to lead by valuing others in higher esteem than me.  Sounds easy – tough to do.  My flesh wants me to be recognized but I must learn to celebrate others. Lead so they win and I take the shots so they don’t.

R – Lord, there are times I want to be selfish and to be known.  Help me to lead in humility so that you get all the glory and others are empowered to accomplish your purpose.  That is the high calling of leadership you are calling me to today.

S – Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel

Philippians 1:27 CSB

O – “Live your life worthy of the gospel”- 

“Live” –pŏlitĕuŏmai,  to behave as a citizen (fig.):— let conversation be, live.

“worthy” – axiōs,  appropriately:— as becometh, after a godly sort, worthily (-thy).

“standing firm” –stēkō, to be stationary, i.e. (fig.) to persevere:— stand (fast).

James Strong, The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996).

A – Love this phrase.  We should live our lives as Christians, appropriate to what God asks of us.  He never asks us to be perfect.  He tells us to love Him, love others and work out our salvation daily.  He asks us to have faith, be courageous and to show God’s love to others.  We need to persevere in this daily.

R – Lord, thank you for the grace to live a life with you.  Where I fall short and sin, I thank you for your forgiveness.  Where I am growing, thank you for meeting me where I am at with your compassion and strength.  Where you are leading me, give me the courage to follow in your direction.  In my relationship with you, help me to discern the depth of your love.  And, let me extend that love to others.

S – Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil

Ephesians 6:10–11 CSB

O – 1.  We can tap into God’s strength and apply it to ourselves.  Why don’t we do this more often?  We don’t think we need it, feel undeserving of it or don’t think it is necessary.

2.  You can’t go into battle with just one or two pieces of armor.  God offers the whole array of weapons – use them.  Preparation is key.  You won’t know what weapons you need until you are in the battle.  Once you are in it, you can access the weapon you need if it is on your person. Have them all ready.

A – Preparing for the battle is our responsibility.  Before we get too far in our day, we should interact with God and put on his armor for each day’s assignment.  

R – Lord, I don’t know what I will face today, but you do.  I invite the Holy Spirit to go with me today in my words, thoughts and actions.  I put on all the armor that you put at my disposal.  I set my resolve to honor you to the best of my ability.  In all I do today, help me to love you, love others and help others take a step closer to you.