Filled with Knowledge of His Will Colossians 1:9

As Paul the apostle commended the church in Colosse for their “faith in Christ Jesus”, their “love to all the saints”, and “hope which is laid up in heaven for you”, he spoke of their “faithful minister” and his “fellow-servant” Epaphras who told Paul of their “love in the Spirit”. In chapter one and verse nine, Paul begins to declare the purpose for his writing and his desire for the church members to be “filled with the knowledge” of God's will. We read:

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

The verse begins, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you,...” The first act Paul took upon hearing of the “love in the Spirit” which resided in the church of Colosse was to “not cease to pray” for them. Intercession on the part of Paul was of utmost importance because there was no greater work that Paul could do for them.

The verse goes on to say, “...and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will...” In addition to praying for them, Paul also began to “desire” which means “to ask, beg, call for, crave, or require” that they “might be filled” or “to fill to the full, to cause to abound, to furnish or to supply liberally” “with the knowledge” which means “precise and correct knowledge, or of the knowledge of things ethical and divine” “of his will” or “of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ, of what God wishes to be done by us”. Rather than being filled with the knowledge of others' will or their own will, Paul knew the best for them was to be “filled with the knowledge” of God's will.

Finally the verse says, “...in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” Paul desired for the church not only to be “filled with the knowledge” of God's will, but specifically “in all wisdom” which is “broad and full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters; skill in management of affairs” and “spiritual understanding” or “that which belongs to the Divine Spirit, of God the Holy Spirit, and one who is filled with and governed by the Spirit of God”. The literal use of the word “understanding” is “a running together or a flowing together with” and conveys the idea that the church members' understanding in spiritual matters will “run with” or “flow together” with the Lord's.

As we ponder these words, we may be inclined to ask if we are “filled with the knowledge of his will”? Are our ways of wisdom and spiritual understanding the same as the Lord's? Do we pray for others whom we have heard obtain a “love in the Spirit”? Perhaps as we meditate, we will examine ourselves and ask the Lord to reveal to us any ways about us which are not filled with His will, His wisdom or His understanding, and may the Lord help us to “run with” and “flow together” with Him more and more every day.

Next time we will learn what Paul said about walking worthy of the Lord and being fruitful, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.