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. They go by various names, "frost flowers"" ice flowers", but they really aren’t flowers at all. Instead they are small ice formations that happen under specific conditions: air temperature must be below freezing, ground temperature must be above freezing, ground must have moisture from recent precipitation, and there must be a plant with a hollow stem. As water is drawn up from the ground to the stem, the stem splits and is ice is formed in these unique shapes when the water hits the cold air.
These were the first frost flowers I had ever seen and I would not have seen them without a friend. She was the one who noticed them on the ground next to the trail. She had never heard of them but I knew what they were because I had read of them. We made this unique and beautiful discovery because we were together. I have come to see that understanding scripture is just like this. We need others who will commit to study diligently the scriptures with us. We need the wisdom of scholars who write commentaries to help us understand the meaning of words and customs from other languages and cultures. Paul knew the importance of studying together as he encouraged the Colossians to “let the message of Christ dwell among you richly.” In our individualistic culture we tend to read “you” as singular, applying to us individually. But in this passage the word "you" is plural. For the message of Christ to dwell richly we need each other. As a result we will sing to God songs of gratitude. Prayer Lord Jesus Open your message to us as we study and meditate on your word together. Give us wisdom to encourage each other with ideas and inspiration we learn from your word. With great gratitude, Amen.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Get In Touch
If you have something to share with everyone reading the blog, click on Comments to add your thoughts. Remember that your comments will be seen by anyone reading the post. If you want to just share your comments with me then click on the Contact link in the menu above. If you are looking for a particular scripture or post title then enter the word in the search box below. You can also find posts about specific topics in the Topics section.
Topics
All
Archives
March 2024
|
All the photographs in this site were taken by me. If you use or share anything from my website, please link back to this page. You are free to view and share this website by linking but I ask you not to download or redistribute anything from the site. Thanks.
Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan