Read: Philippians 3:7-11
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (v. 10-11 NIV)
I needed to find a dentist to do a root canal. After calling several, my parents thought of a dentist who was from their small hometown. His office said he was not taking any new patients, but dad left his name anyway. Recognizing our last name, the dentist called back immediately, saying that he would see me.
Like the apostle Paul, our goal should be to know Christ in the most intimate way possible. To know Jesus like this, we need to experience some of what he went through. It is not likely that we will have to suffer Jesus’s torturous death, but we may have to suffer the rejection of others. Even though a cross isn’t likely in our future, we must be willing to die to ourselves to be more like him. When we know Christ as Savior, we are assured that he will usher us into heaven with resurrection power.
Before my appointment, I had never met the dentist personally, I had just heard his name. Jesus doesn’t just want us to know him through another person. He wants you to know him personally. Does your knowledge of him come secondhand or is your relationship with the Savior personal and growing? —Steven Laman
As you pray, ask Jesus to give you a desire to know him more.
About the Author
Steven Laman is a writer and public speaker who has lived with cerebral palsy since his birth in 1970. Steven is a prolific devotional writer for Words of Hope, and the author of three books: My Journey God’s Grace, Strength in Weakness and My Grace Is Sufficient. He also volunteers as a teacher’s aide. He lives with his parents in Iowa.
