Waist Deep 2018 - A Daily Dip in the Bible

Colossians 4: 5 Make the most of every opportunity. (NIV) If. . . [God’s] hand is in it, an obstacle is only a door waiting to be opened.* When my boys were small, one of them asked, “Why do you have to hug us every time you tell us good-bye?” I replied, “Because I never know if it’s going to be the last time I ever see you.” They never mentioned it again – and they don’t object to good-bye hugs to this day. Besides always saying good-bye with a hug, I also savor the moments, say “yes” whenever possible, and try to do the right thing for its own sake.  I like to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. This verse might be more accurately translated: “improve every opportunity.”*   Other versions include, “redeem the time” or “buy up opportunities.” I think you get the picture: whether it’s making wise choices that lead to a more abundant life, or if it’s a chance to witness to the lost, we have to seize the moment. In order to seize...

Colossians 3: 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. (NIV) God has his own way of rewarding honorable and faithful work, regardless of the failure of human authorities to do so.* Often, the best you can hope for when you work for other people is a paycheck. You won’t be appreciated; you won’t be rewarded monetarily beyond your salary; you won’t be recognized for displaying initiative. If we are devoted to working for “the man,” our spirits can be broken. It’s hard to see the point in doing a good job. But Paul tells us in this verse that we are faithful to our duty to God when we perform our duty to men. *  Does this not characterize integrity? We give our employer the full amount of time he pays us for. We perform our duties to the best of our ability. We show respect to our supervisors and co-workers. We are honest and industrious. We do the right thing. And we show them Jesus. Embrace the ministry p...

Colossians 3: 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (NIV) Men drink in forgiveness by the bucketful, and spoon it out under pressure.* I was looking at some old pictures today. Apparently it wasn’t as random an activity as I thought – God was preparing me for this verse. In pictures from grade school, I saw the faces of two kids that, I must confess, I treated badly. I was a Christian back then but not always a nice one. I don’t know why I chose those particular kids to be mean to. Thanks to Facebook, I know that one of them is a preacher now. The other one actually accepted my “friend request” and doesn’t seem to harbor any animosity towards me. I would like to apologize to them - but perhaps that would only benefit me. Seems they may have already forgiven me.  When it comes to our offenses, we tend to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt. As another writer states it, “W...

Colossians 3: 12 Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (NIV) Anyone who spends time with the Lord will find it evidenced in his life.* A uniform identifies you with your employer. You are representing your company when you wear their uniform. The uniform says something about where you work and who you are. Or . . . it could simply be a disguise. Displaying the company logo on your clothes isn’t enough to get you a paycheck. You have to comply with company policy if you want to be a true member of the team. I knew a girl in college who was so modest that when you knocked on the door of her dorm room, she would not open it until she was fully clothed – including shoes, unlike the rest of us who didn’t mind being seen in our PJs or other loungewear. What about us? Are we dressed in proper spiritual attire? I find that sometimes I wear the appropriate spiritual garments but they’re not totally zipped and buttoned – they’re j...

Colossians 3: 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (NIV) You must not only seek heaven; you must also think heaven.* If you continue reading in Colossians chapter three, you will see a list of “earthly things”- things that lead to the wrath of God, and, frankly, things that “go without saying” (sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed). We’re not in doubt as to the earthly nature of these things; but, in the chapter prior to this one, there is a list of “religious” things that, surprisingly, Paul also calls “earthly.” Examples of this sort of activity are: regulations that have an appearance of wisdom, self-imposed worship, false humility, and harsh treatment of the body. Paul says these lack value and are destined to perish because they are based on human commands and teachings. Any time we find a command in the Bible, we also find that we have a choice. Not just the I can choose to do it or not kind of choice, but the kind...

Colossians 1: 17 In him all things hold together. (NIV) Every aspect of God’s being transcends our knowledge, our experience, and our comprehension.* When my high-school chemistry teacher told us that everything was made up of molecules and atoms and that they were constantly bouncing around, I lost my ability to trust anything else he said. I remember sitting there staring at his desk, looking for any sign of movement. If he had explained that, although those tiny particles were bouncing about, God’s power kept them together in a solid mass, he could have earned some credibility. If he had gone on to say that if God removed his power, the universe would explode, I might have come out of his class with better than a D-minus average! That power that’s holding all of creation together, keeping the planets from crashing into each other, and maintaining gravity on earth – that is the power that keeps my life together. If God withheld his presence, my life would fall...

Colossians 1: 3 We always thank God . . . when we pray for you. (NIV) The true matter of our rejoicings for others is not that God has given them health, riches, fame, etc., but faith and love . . . the one being the root ,   the other the fruit of Christian virtue.* People who get letters from Paul should be warned that he always starts out with the good news before he warns and rebukes.*   While it may have been his habit to soften his readers up a bit, Paul was not guilty of empty flattery. His affection and regard were genuine. In the case of the Colossians, Paul had heard of their faith in Jesus Christ and their love for each other, and he was proud of them. We might struggle with how to deliver a compliment while still giving God the glory but Paul has it all figured out. If we follow Paul’s example, instead of saying how beautiful the soloist’s performance was, we would say, “I thank God for you.” When my friend prayed out loud – in public – for ...