These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
—Colossians 2:17

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
In the world of religious ideas, Paul reminds the Colossian Christians that while the shiny religions around them may sound good and may better fit their desired lifestyle, these religions are only a shadow of what God offers us in Jesus. In Jesus, we have reality: spiritual reality and human reality. God has become one of us in Jesus so we could be one with him. What is real is what we find in Jesus.

My Prayer...
Give me focus, O Lord, to follow your Son with all my heart. I know so many other religious ideas are out there, but I also know that only Jesus showed how much you love me by dying for me and saving me from sin and death. I want to not only trust him and follow him, I want my character to be conformed to his. In the name of the only true Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.