Paul encourages us to make the best use of our time. We do that by investing in the welfare, especially the spiritual welfare, of others. When we as God's people take God at His Word, and try to make the best use of our time, we can't even begin to imagine how we will experience Christ, and be blessed in Him.

After many chapters of judgment and promised forgiveness of His own people Israel, the Lord's attention turns to their nearest neighbors. Even though Israel's neighbors had seen the Lord act mightily to save His people, and heard the words of the prophets, most of these people persisted in idolatry and ungodliness. Despite their persistent unbelief, God offers them hope in the same Savior He has promised His people.

Death and God's judgement will be the great equalizers of all. Earthly success is an illusion that will be shown as counterfeit if those who found it failed to embrace the Lord and His way.

"Living it up," usually means that someone has everything going their way. They are enjoying this life and the best of all that this life has to offer. It is an inherently selfish and superficial mentality. God offers us something so much more in Christ, that we can't imagine it, until He reveals it to us in Christ.

Babylon was but a representative of all oppressing and corrupt human power. When Isaiah prophecies her demise, he warns us all that judgement is coming. The theme of coming judgement resounds loudly through out many of the next 25 chapters of Isaiah, so that we may be warned and ready!

We rejoice in Jesus, our Savior, because in Him, God has become our salvation. When we are weak, He is strong. Even when we don't love or don't even like Him, or what He's doing in our life, He loves us still the same. So much so that He redeems even our weakest moments.

It's hard to tell the difference beetween the genuine article and a counterfeit, even when it comes to faith. Paul teaches the Colossians to find their stay in Christ alone, and to be firmly rooted in His work in their lives. We are also taught how to tell the difference between what is and is not important when it comes to our life in Christ.

In this chapter, we hear yet another bright and hopeful passage of prophecy that describes the gracious reign of Jesus in our lives. Living in a world of injustice and oppression, we hear how our Savior will exalt the downcast. Instead of being decieved by appearances, He will always judge in righteousness and truth.

The opening verses of Isaiah 9 are read each year by many Christians as a part of the Christmas Eve liturgy. We are reminded of the One who came from the Galilee, Jesus Christ our Lord. Our faith is strengthened when we hear these verses that so clearly describe our Lord, knowing they were written over 600 years before Jesus was born.

Colossians is written to a small, declining agricultural community that Paul never visited himself. He writes to encourage them in their faith, which was under atttack. Some were trying to get the Colossians to put their faith in something less than Christ. Paul's words encourage them, as they do us, by rooting us deeply in Christ, the Source of our love and life.