Know Him!

Know Him!

Philippians 3:10-11 KJV

[10] that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; [11] if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

There comes a time in the life of every man and woman, when you have to make up your mind what your priority will be. It really has to be one overaching commitment to something, to the exclusion of every other thing. The present world is great at trying to convince you about what should be important to you, and it will also give you great reasons why that thing is important, but if the desire is to know and follow God wholeheartedly, you just have to find that one thing that is eternally critical, and make it your lifelong pursuit. Like Paul in the verses above, he also had choices to make. He was a man who had been active in the Jewish community; he was an avid promoter of the Jewish culture and tradition, and he let everyone know his stand. His CV was rich: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; a Pharisee; zealous  persecutor of the church; and blameless as per touching the righteousness which is in the law. 

Do you know anyone you know who could match up to that? However, the same Paul had an encounter with the God who calls men to repentance, salvation and eternal life, and his life never remained the same. The things he thought were important no longer held the same appeal. That is what happens when a man has an encounter with someone that changes your pursuits and priorities. A man who has seen, touched, tasted and felt the presence of God knows that there is no substitute. To know God is an amazing journey of discovery, an experience that will demand time, as well as attention and resources. It will not come easy, because the devil also knows the value in a man experiencing God, and he will do all he can to distract, discomfort, dishearten and discourage. Do not let the devil deny you a lifetime of peace, hope and joy that only God can give. 

Check out all the things that Paul listed in the verses above: know him, the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings. I note the word 'and' joining them all together. That tells me the scope of Paul's prayer was beyond mere head knowledge; he wanted to have this undeniable experience of the totality of God. Do not settle for other people's stories about God; find your own. Do not let people's expectations limit your desire for more of God; seek Him like it is a matter of life and death. In fact, it is. No man seeks God this way and regrets it. No man seeks God this way and God will not make that man's life a testimony for others. It will involve suffering sometimes, but God makes it worth it in the end. Ultimately, eternity with God is the end of all things. Let nothing, and no one deny you that. God's time of favour is here.