[Note to Challenge Participants: Yesterday was our last day in I John 4. Please follow this link for a reminder of our next set of verses! Additional Verses ]

“Let the word of Christ dwell richly within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thanksgiving in your hearts to God.” Col. 3:16 NASB

Have you ever stopped to consider all the words that dwell in you from a source other than Christ? There are voices and words to receive from everything surrounding us in our lives. Paul knew that. He is instructing the Christians in Colossae to reject and turn away from all the other words and voices, and LET the word of Christ dwell richly within them.

It is important when we meditate on scripture to take notice of the little words. For example: Is, of, for, then, if and others. This scripture begins with a little word that is very important. To let, is, to yield to or surrender to, something or someone. We are to let the word of Christ dwell…and not just kinda dwell, or here and there dwell, but richly dwell. That Greek word is plousios which means: Richly, abundantly, largely. It’s gives me the picture of something so full it’s over flowing in abundance. We are to dwell on Christ’s words so much that there is an over-abundance of them flowing out of us.

I smile and marvel at the word of God and how consistent it is with itself! All through the scripture we are challenged, exhorted, told and commanded to meditate and keep God’s word. (Keep, not being obey, but to watch over and guard as though priceless.)

Paul is giving the same exhortation and command. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” He gives it because he knows that this is the way in which disciples love Jesus and the Father. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NASB) And He said it again adding an incredible promise: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me, and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him and will disclosed (manifest) Myself to him.” (John 14:21) Keeping Jesus and the Father’s commands and letting the word of Christ dwell richly within us are synonymous with one another. As the seed of the word is implanted by our dwelling richly on it, the fruit of love is manifested through us to others around us…BUT, most importantly, that fruit is produced in us back to God the Father. Fulfilling in us the very purpose of our creation: Intimate God-focused relationship and fellowship with God.

God’s desire is intimate fellowship with His children. But this fellowship must be in line with His word—done according to His terms and not what I think would be acceptable. Well, praise God, because He clearly tells us His terms: “Keep My commandments…that is how you love Me.” And as we keep His commandments a fellowship so intimate with Him happens that one can’t express in words the wonder and life of it. You can only share in a personal understanding of what has been experienced.

It is from this single-focused fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, richly dwelling on His word that the Spirit’s fruit of love is produced in our heart for God and for others.

So my dear brothers and sisters, let us LET ­– yield to – the word of Christ dwelling richly within us, that HIS seed and fruit of love may flow into and out of our lives back to Him and those He wants to touch through us!

In this we will find true satisfaction!  In this we will find LIFE!

~Katie Wuerffel