Weekly Devotional: January 28, 2026

GOD’S WORD
Colossians 2

DEVOTIONAL BY
Rick Raymer, Major
Territorial Pastoral Care Officer for Former Officers / Spiritual Life Development Officer

WHAT’S IMPORTANT: Being Rooted in Christ Jesus

Colossians 2:1-7
I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2 Iwant them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. 6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

In my last Corps appointment, I had a mountaintop experience at the National Seminar on Evangelism held at the Glen Eyrie Conference Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It wasn’t one of the great speakers or a memorable workshop that had the biggest impact on me. It was the occasions I had to myself in a beautiful oasis that made all the difference. God took the time to display right before my eyes part of His wonderful creation and He spoke to me in a deep, personal way.

On the hill behind the lodge, I was observing the beauty and communing with God when out of the trees appeared a deer. For several minutes, I was within a few feet of this beautiful animal. She seemed to be looking for me. When she came through the trees, it was as if she found me.  The deer and I locked eyes and gazed at one another. Suddenly something startled her and she leapt away gracefully, like she was flying. I felt the very presence of God in that incredible moment!

I left that mountaintop experience with the flame of the Holy Spirit burning brighter in my soul and came home to business as usual. I shared my experience with those in my corps/church. I even preached a few sermons about it. But, regrettably, I did not have a burning desire to go for any souls, let alone to go for the worst. I was content to stay inside my corps/church building and tell my soldiers and a few guests what happened in Glen Eyrie. BUT! That’s not why I signed up to follow the Rock of Ages, the Son of the Living God!

BITTERNESS CAUSES LOSS OF BLESSING

I love the Lord and I love people, but I felt something was missing in my life. As I analyzed it, I realized I did not have the blessing of a clean heart. I had lost it once again. I was going through the motions of being a corps officer, but I was not living the life that comes with such a high calling. I just was not prioritizing things correctly in my life.

I must admit that I had allowed Satan to fill my heart with bitterness because I didn’t get an appointment I felt I deserved. I was so upset and thought to myself, “why should I do my job to the best of my ability?” The Commissioner evidently didn’t think I was worthy of the appointment I expected to receive, so I decided to fix him. I determined that if I wasn’t going to work in my desired appointment, I wasn’t going to do my duties in my present appointment either. The problem with “fixing the Commissioner,” was that the only one who got the victory was Satan.

The good news is I got over it. But the better news is that I got over myself and realized that it’s not about me. It’s not about any of us. It’s about Christ!

I still cry over the fact that I let God down during that time of bitterness and selfishness. Okay, I really didn’t let God down because I don’t think we have that kind of power but it’s certainly what Satan wanted me to believe. I could have been more effective for His Kingdom if I had simply remembered my covenant with Him and dismissed what I wanted. My covenant is to “proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” Which appointment I have is immaterial, nothing else should matter!

I wish I could say that things have been perfect since then but that would be a lie. I will say that I have grown in my walk, and after forty-six years of living with Christ I have found the secret of keeping this second blessing that Brengle talks about in his books. As a matter of fact, God used Brengle in one of His books to straighten me out as it relates to my holy walk.

The New Testament has our answer:

Colossians 2:6-7 (KJV)
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in him,
and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT)
And now, just as you accepted
Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must
continue to live in obedience to Him.
Let your roots grow down into him,
and let your lives be built on him.
Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you
were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7 (MSG)
My counsel for you is simple and straightforward:
Just go ahead with what you’ve been given.
You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him.

You’re deeply rooted in him.
You’re well constructed upon him.
You know your way around the faith.
Now do what you’ve been taught.

School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it!
And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

If you and I want to walk the walk and talk the talk, we must first repent and receive Christ as our Savior. After that, we must walk in Him.

With the constant allure of the world’s attractions, it’s an ongoing tug-of-war. The world pulls us one way and the Spirit pulls us another. We must continue to ignore and reject what the world has to offer, each and every day, and pursue the joy of living Jesus’ holy principles in our lives.

We must live Christ out loud, in the street, in the marketplace, and, believe it or not, in our corps/churches for all to see. As the New Living Translation says, we must live in obedience to Christ. That means following Jesus and living out His Word in our lives on a moment-by-moment basis. As Salvationists, as Christians we must rise above sin, and that can only happen through our holy living. As Eugene Perterson said in his paraphrase of Colossians 2 and the end of verse 7, “School’s out; quit studinging the subject and start living it!”

Take a moment to answer the following questions:

1. Where do you find yourself on your journey?
2. Have you found Christ?
3. Are you walking in Christ daily?

The answers to these questions are WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT?

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An Extra Nugget from God’s Word

In the Christian tradition, love is considered the highest virtue and the essence of God's nature. The Bible presents love as a fundamental characteristic of God and a central commandment for believers. In 1 John 4:8, it is stated, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." This verse underscores the intrinsic nature of love within the divine character. Friends, you can't have true holiness without God’s love.

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OUR CORPORATE PRAYER
Father, we hear You, just as Adam and Eve heard you when you were walking among them in the Garden. We do not want to run and hide from You. We would rather run towards You and embrace You as the prodical son’s Father embraced him on his return home. As we fall down before You, we worship and adore You and we lift You above all others and praise you because you are worthy. We pray this in Your matchless name, Jesus Christ, amen.