Have You Exercised Your Faith, Lately?

⁹For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 
-Colossians 1:9-10 (KJV)


Paul's letter to the church at Colosse is quickly becoming one of my favorite books of the Bible. The book is rich and challenging. In the passages I'm writing about today, we see why it is so important that you and I be filled with the knowledge of the will of God. Let's break it down.

Paul starts off saying, "For this cause, we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you," What Paul is referring to as "this cause" is the faith of the Colossians that he heard about from Epaphras. Ephaphras told Paul about the faith that this church has in God. Paul rejoiced, and told the church that he now prays for them. Paul even goes to reveal to them exactly what he is praying for. "that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;" Paul was praying that they be filled with the knowledge of His will, with the knowledge of the will of God for their lives. He prayed that they would be filled with the wisdom of His will, and that they would have spiritual understanding, so that they knew and understood what God's will is for their lives. Friends, each of us needs to have that understanding of the will of God for our lives. Paul prayed that they would gain this. Verse 10 tells us the results of understanding His will for our lives, and doing His will.

"that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing," How can we walk worthy of the Lord if we are walking outside His will? It can't be done. We please the Lord when we walk in His will. Walking worthy of the Lord is a result of being filled with the knowledge of His will. "being fruitful in every good work, " We should strive to be fruitful in what we do for Christ. We need to cultivate the good fruit we read about in Galatians 5 into our lives. Bearing fruit is a result of being filled with the knowledge of His will. "increasing in the knowledge of God," As we start doing His will in our lives, as we start walking worthy of the Lord, as we start being fruitful in our works, we will begin increasing in our knowledge of God. Our faith will grow when it gets exercised. As we begin doing His will, our faith grows because we see the hand of God moving in our lives. Increasing in our knowledge of God is a result of our being filled with the knowledge of His will.

Friends, having a knowledge of the will of God is not enough. You're not going to walk worthy and pleasing of the Lord if you only have knowledge of His will. You're not going to be fruitful, or increase in knowledge of God if you only have knowledge of His will. You receive these things when you put His will into action. Your faith grows when it gets exercised. Have you exercised your faith lately?