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The Hope of Glory: 100 Daily Meditations on Colossians

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Paul's letter to the Colossians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Its emphasis upon the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ is like spiritual red-bull for the Christian heart. So it is only natural that I was excited to receive a copy of Sam Storms' new book entitled "The Hope of Glory." Storms' clear, passionate, Christ-exalting writing style is a perfect match for such an affection stirring epistle like Colossians.

Storms writes in his introduction concerning his audience and intentions:

I've written for the average, educated Christian believer. Well, that's not entirely accurate. I'm assuming that, although "average," you are passionate to know Christ better, hungry to be filled with the knowledge of the truth, and desperate to see him lifted high and holy in your life and in the experience of the church as a whole. If that describes you, or what you wish were true of you, then this book was designed specifically with you in mind. Each meditation is intentionally short, and most can be read in five to ten minutes.

I've labored to maintain a delicate, and often difficult, balance between stylistic simplicity on the one hand and theological substance on the other. I've not avoided the hard texts in Colossians, but in addressing them I've worked at making Paul's meaning accessible to any Christian with an inquiring mind and a hungry heart. Notes are kept to a minimum. Only rarely do I appeal to something in the Greek text, and even then I strive to make it intelligible to those who read only the English Bible.

There is good reason for my use of the word meditation in describing these one hundred studies. In Psalm 145:5, David declared: "On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate." This is what Scripture ultimately was designed to do: point us to the glorious splendor of God's majesty and deepen our satisfaction in the wondrous work he has achieved in Christ. So, don't merely read these studies on Colossians: ruminate! Don't simply study: saturate! I believe that in this way, through concentrated meditation on the Christ-exalting Word of Paul's epistle to the Colossians, the Holy Spirit will awaken in your heart that joy in Jesus that Peter can only describe as "inexpressible and filled with glory" (1 Pet. 1:8).

The book has one hundred (relatively short) chapters, each consisting of a meditation on a passage and weighs in at 368 pages. It will no doubt prove to be a valuable book to have at arms length to aid in stirring your affections for the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm enjoying this devotional book. Each chapter is short and easy to read. I like that I can read a chapter in about 15 minutes and not get distracted or bored. I had been reading one of those read-the-Bible-in-a-year devotionals and it was hard for me to stay focused and I would get stressed out if I missed a couple of days. Reading a book with concise chapters that focuses on a part of a verse really makes things easier to understand and helps me to retain more of what I read.

I chose the book of Colossians as the first book to preach through in the church where I am the pastor of preaching. A large part of the reason I chose to preach through the book of Colossians is because I read Storms' book on Colossians and benefited from it so much, that I felt like I wanted my flock to benefit from the great truths to be mined from the book of Colossians.

Colossians' bottom line is all about Christ being our sufficiency period. As a pastor there is no truth that I want to convey more in my preaching, counseling, coaching, discipleship, and any teaching situation I find myself in. I find that the older I get and the more I experience and see people struggle - that our greatest need is always more of Jesus. It's not a cliché - it's just true.

I find that this book is useful as both a commentary and a devotional. Dr. Storms is a gifted scholar, but he is also a pastor and wonderfully balances mining the depths of Christ to be found in the book of Colossians with profound wisdom always leading to personal encouragement and application.

I am reading this book for the second time, and if the return of Christ lingers, I believe this will be a book I return to again and again to be encouraged in the infinite treasures that are to be found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. I highly recommend this book as one you will come to again and again to be encouraged in your walk with Jesus.

I am not finished with all 100 devotions yet but I couldnt wait to add my review. Mr.Storms daily devotions are so full of insight and wisdom I look forward to reading them every day. I love that the chunks are so small, it really allows him to get to the meat of each part of a verse. They have been teaching me more of the bible as well because he adds in many references from other books of the bible.

This devotional has been one of my recent favorites. Great length for not only timing but also for coving just enough to really get you thinking but not so much as to pass over the very rich portions. The insights are fantastic and well thought out. Our church did a series based somewhat on the material in the book and while that was extremely helpful itself and well teased out, this book really has been a great way to start my mornings these past few months. Its been about 10 years since I was fortunate to have a class taught by the author but after going through here was a welcome return.