Colossians 1:6-12
Have you ever stumbled onto an opportunity that far exceeded your original expectations? Or maybe you’ve encountered a source of treasure that no one else even knew existed? The theme of unanticipated riches appearing in unlikely places occurs in all kinds of literature. Jesus tapped into that theme with His story of the man who found a treasure hidden in a field. Apparently no one else knew of its existence, so he quickly covered it and ran in haste to secure the new property (Matt. 13:44).
Believers have inherited a vast treasure called the grace of God. For years, its great wealth may remain somewhat hidden from our view, but as we seek out its true dimensions, we are astonished to find how wealthy we are. This is what John was getting at when he exclaimed, “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:16). Another version puts it like this: “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another” (NLT).
Paul describes these successive blessings in Colossians 1: We can be filled with the knowledge of God’s will “in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” and then we’ll be able to please the Lord in “all respects” and bear fruit in “every good work.” What’s more, we will be strengthened with “all power” and thereby be able to attain “all steadfastness and patience” (vv. 9-11, emphasis added). Indeed, the Lord has an abundance of goodness and blessings for His children, and that is why we are richly endowed with “grace upon grace.”
