Colossians 1: 9 And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
How To Check A Fence
Electric fencing is a tool cattlemen use to create temporary boundaries for cattle to graze an area. We use it to graze corn stalks during the Wintertime or sometimes for a back-up to barbed wire fencing. It is powered by a fence charger and a 12-volt car battery. That battery needs to be changed periodically. There is an easy method to check an electric fence to see if it is hot and whether the battery needs replacing without going to where the charger is located.
You take your fence pliers (or another tool which has a plastic or rubber coated handle which insulates you) and place the head against the fence post first. That is to provide a path to ground for the electric current. Keeping the head in touch with the post, you then touch the other side of the head very close to the wire. If it has current, it will spark across the gap between the head and the wire, seeking the path to ground you provided by holding the other side of the head to the post.
Electricity seeks grounding. That is why electric companies inform us (usually on their trucks) “if you’re not grounded, you’re not dead”. You don’t want to provide a path through your body for an electric current to seek the ground.
We Need Grounding
People need to seek grounding also. Merriam Webster defines grounding as “training or instruction in the fundamentals of a field of knowledge”. God’s Word is the very best place to seek training and instruction. And I admit, when I’ve been away from my Bible for a while, I lose my “grounding” or the feeling that I am educated and firmly planted in my life. Prayer is also important to the overall process. It’s the same when I skip doing yoga. My body tells me very quickly that I’ve messed up.
The passage above tells why we should seek grounding from His Word. The instruction we receive from scripture not only increases our knowledge of Him, but guides our lives to please God, bear fruit, be strengthened, and be grateful.
Busy or Not!
Our lives are busy. Prayer and study very often get pushed out of our schedules. My hand is raised. Guilty. We are almost always too busy on the farm and with the cattle, and I use that as an excuse far too frequently.
But Paul’s request is not that we only gain facts regarding God from studying our Bibles, but that we find a deeper understanding in our hearts and souls. When that happens, a spark generates inside us, strengthening us, giving us “endurance and patience with joy”. Contentment in all circumstances is fortified through daily instruction and prayer from a grateful heart, one which is grounded and allowed to visibly spark across our daily path!