DAILY ENCOUNTER

THAT I MAY KNOW HIM

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" Philippians 3:10

Glory to God! Never having an arrival state in our pursuit of Jesus is one of the ways we can remain active, fervent, and passionate in our relationship with Him. There is an “arrival mentality” that can gradually develop in a person's heart when they begin to feel that they have attained enough, achieved enough, or experienced enough. The moment we begin to think that there is nothing more to pursue, we begin to lose the hunger that brought us to where we are. We see something similar in marriage. Before marriage, a man or woman may be intentional about communication, thoughtful about their words, eager to spend time together, and deliberate about expressing love. They make sacrifices and go out of their way to keep the relationship growing. But sometimes, after marriage, an unhealthy sense of arrival sets in: “I have married this person already; I don't need to do all those things anymore.” When the pursuit stops, the relationship begins to suffer. What once received attention is now neglected, and what was once cultivated is left unattended to. The same thing can happen in our relationship with God. There was a time when we were hungry for God's Word, eager to pray, excited about His presence, and passionate about knowing Him. We could spend time in His presence without watching the clock. We wanted to understand His ways and hear His voice. 

But as God begins to answer our prayers, we can unconsciously become comfortable and lose our hunger for Him. We must never allow God's blessings to replace our hunger for God Himself. Apostle Paul gives us a remarkable picture of a man who refused to arrive. Apostle Paul had experienced extraordinary encounters with God. He encountered Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. God used him to preach the Gospel with great power. Through his ministry, people were saved, healed, delivered, and established in the faith. He experienced supernatural manifestations and received profound revelations. Yet, after all these experiences, Apostle Paul said, "That I may know him...” What was he still looking for? He was not merely looking for another ministry achievement. He was not asking for another testimony to be added to his record. He was pursuing the Person behind the power. It is possible to know God's works without knowing God's heart deeply. We can know the principles of ministry without knowing the Person of Christ intimately. We can experience His power and still need to grow in our knowledge of Him. There is a danger when we become more passionate about what God can do through us than about knowing the God who uses us. We can become excited about preaching, leadership, miracles, church growth, recognition, and results while neglecting the secret place where our relationship with Christ is cultivated. The greatest testimony of our lives should not merely be, “God used me,” but, “I know Him.” The goal is not simply to have known Him yesterday. The goal is to know Him more today than we did yesterday and to desire to know Him more tomorrow than we know Him today. Our pursuit of Christ must outlive our pursuit of everything else. Hallelujah!!!

FURTHER STUDY

Philippians 3:7-14; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Hosea 6:3

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Have I allowed answered prayers, ministry results, spiritual experiences, or familiarity with church activities to reduce my hunger for personally knowing Jesus?
  2. What practical step can I take today to deepen my fellowship with Christ rather than becoming satisfied with what I have already experienced?

PRAYERS
Father, I receive grace to have an ever-increasing hunger to know You. Keep my heart from becoming comfortable or satisfied with yesterday's experiences. Let my pursuit of You remain fresh, fervent, and passionate, and may knowing You always be my greatest desire in Jesus's name

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