"We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth..." (Colossians 1:3-6)

I love this passage of Scripture. I love the way Paul and Timothy give thanks to God the Father for the faith (in Christ) of the Colossians. So often I get caught up in the pace of life and take this faith for granted. "My" faith is not "my" faith at all. It was given by God, is maintained by God, is grown by God, it is tested by God, and ultimately has its very foundation in Christ, who is God!

This passage also says (v. 4-5) that this faith, coupled with love for brothers and sisters in Christ, is rooted in hope which is laid up in heaven. What hope is there laid up in heaven for us who believe? Of course, its the "crown of righteousness" which will be awarded to those who "love Christ's appearing". (2 Tim. 4:7-8) How often do I fail to think of Christ's appearing? How often do you? I'm told my pastor preached an awesome sermon on Sunday (Dave and I were in the nursery), admonishing the brethren to anxiously await Christ's appearing--with prayer and fasting, longing for Him to come! We're so worried with grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, studying, working, buying, selling, teaching, etc. that we don't spend much time thinking about His appearing, do we?  Woe is me, a woman of misdirected thinking! Lord, change me!

This passage (v. 5-6) also shows us where we can be refreshed in our passion for His appearing, where we can be taught of this hope laid up for us in heaven, and where our faith can be fed and kept strong...its the GOSPEL! We think of the gospel as only what we need to preach to unbelievers. We need to hear it, read it, study it, and meditate upon it ourselves!  The Gospel, the Word of Truth, is that which bears fruit in us and increases as we walk in faith. We need to not only preach this Gospel, but we need to meditate upon the power of it and praise God for this faith He's put in us to believe it. "For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL, for IT is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in IT the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith..." (Romans 1:16-17a)[emphasis mine]

May God grant me a deeper understanding of His grace in truth. May He focus my clouded eyes upon Himself and refresh me through the frequent hearing of the Gospel which has produced faith in me. May He make me to meditate upon the power of the cross, the glory of His risen Son, and the mercy He's had upon me in granting me the faith to believe! May this glorious Gospel bear fruit in me and may it increase until the day God takes me home.