One of my favorite books in the New Testament is Colossians, and my favorite chapter is Colossians 3. I love the beginning where it admonishes us to “seek those things which are above,” and the middle section which sets the character of our new nature in Christ Jesus. Part of that new nature is to sing “with grace in [our] hearts to the LORD.”
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” [Colossians 3:16 NKJV]
The NIV says we are to sing with “gratitude in [our] hearts,” and the NLT says we are to sing with “thankful hearts.”
The word there is Charis which we always say is the unmerited favor of God. But Strong’s says that charis [NT:5485] can also mean “especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude.”
It takes a heart filled with grace to sing with gratitude and thanksgiving. It takes a heart of grace to sing when we are in pain, or when circumstances seem to be against us. It certainly took grace for Paul and Silas to sing in that Philippian prison [Acts 16:22-25].
My “Valley of Vision” prayer this morning ended with “Let me never lose sight … of the exceeding wonder of grace.” Amen & Amen
