The Kingdom of Light
When we talk about the gospel of Jesus, we most often talk about Jesus’ crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. As Christians, these are the truths that we believe in that grant us salvation, and are an important part of the New Testament message.
But there is more that happens behind the scenes of Jesus’ death. Paul unpacks some of those things in the letter he writes to the Colossian church.
Through his resurrection, Jesus conquered the evil supernatural powers that oppose God. Jesus proved Himself victorious over death and darkness—they cannot defeat Him or overthrow His Kingdom.
This is why Paul says that we have been rescued from the dominion of darkness. Before we were part of God’s family, we were held captive in darkness by our own way that opposed God. In fact, later in the same chapter of Colossians, Paul says:
"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior."
Colossians 1:21 NIV
However, since Jesus conquered death and was victorious over the kingdom of darkness, we too are rescued and freed from our old ways as well. We are forgiven in Christ and given a new life in God’s kingdom–this is what Paul calls "redemption."
Death has no dominion over us, if we accept the life Jesus freely offers to us.
We are now called a new creation in Jesus, and the Spirit of God dwells within us, guiding us toward what God planned for us.
Take a moment to consider the greatness and goodness of Jesus. Thank Him for all that He has done for you, specifically for making a way to have a relationship with Him, free from your old ways. He is victorious!
Let the world know!
The Old Testament recounts many moments where God provided for His people. But one powerful retelling of God’s greatness is found in Psalm 105.
Psalm 105 focuses on events found in the book of Exodus—when worshipers were encouraged to remember God’s faithfulness and show gratitude for what He's done. And while all 45 verses are worth studying, let’s take a closer look at the verse that sets the tone for this Psalm, and the four ways it invites us into worship…
“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done.”
Psalm 105:1 ESV
REFLECT ON GOD'S GOODNESS
Gratitude comes from recognizing what God has done for us. So in order to show gratitude, we have to recognize how God was at work in our past circumstances. When we do that, we can acknowledge God’s faithfulness and genuinely worship Him.
THANK GOD
In Psalm 105:1, the term “giving thanks” stems from the Hebrew word "yadah" which means, “to revere or ...