Passage of the Day:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him, Colossians 3:12-17.
Reflection:
The apostle Paul is in the middle of explaining to members of the Church at Colosse how to transition from their previous way of living into what it means to become a follower of Christ. After concentrating on adopting the mind of Christ in Colossians 3:1-4, Paul turns his attention toward putting to death attitudes, behaviors and cravings that please your flesh and not the Holy Spirit. Today’s portion of Scripture is a call to action which begins with clothing yourself with Christ like qualities. Yet, peace only arrives as a byproduct of breathing life into your soul.
Prayerful Action:
Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him, 1 Samuel 6:23.
Refreshing Your Soul:
Several Bible translations of the above passage point to an evil spirit that tormented Saul during his reign as King of Israel. Meanwhile, a few translations point to the spiritual concept that music has the ability to soothe your soul. If Lucifer, an archangel kicked out of heaven in Isaiah 14:12, was indeed the angel of song, it’s possible that music can be used for good and evil. However, as Christians begin to sing songs in your heart to God, the Holy Spirit breathes life into your soul.
Song of the Day:
Breathe You In was a song I included on the final CD mix I made before moving to South Carolina in 2022. This 11-hour journey required several mixes for my car stereo to keep me awake on this half day trip. As you listen to the lyrics of Breathe You In, may the Holy Spirit breathe life into your soul.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 