Contentment from Within Present

Scripture: Philippians 3:10

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Insights: Yesterday we learned how to count properly and with the singular objective of knowing Christ Jesus.  In today’s verses Paul takes us further into what he meant by knowing Jesus.  First, Paul wanted to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection.  Think about it this way: in medical days gone by they used paddles to resuscitate patients whose hearts had stopped.  That procedure is an amazing use of power, but for every one of those patients that were resuscitated there still remained a fate for them.  They were still going to die.  Yet, when God brings One back from the dead, He will never die again.  Jesus is forever alive and so will those of us who are born again.  Second, Paul wanted to know the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings.  Now most believers are really excited about the first part, but are less than thrilled with this second part, at least that is the case for me.  Yet, Paul had matured so much that he understood the value of suffering for Jesus.  I pray one day I will, like Paul, desire to truly learn obedience through suffering just as Jesus did.  Third, Paul wanted to be conformed to Jesus death.  In other words, Paul desired to leave this world and that was only going to happen in one of two ways.  One, he would have been resurrected in Jesus second coming.  Two, he would have had to die.  Too many of us are more in love with our life here on earth that we would rather not conform to Christ in His death.  This thought never entered Paul’s mind and why not?  The fourth way Paul desired to know Jesus is the answer.  Paul wanted to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  In other words, Paul wanted to go HOME!  If we have truly received salvation in Christ, then we ought to desire these same four things in terms of knowing Jesus.  Beloved, strive to know Christ Jesus and every aspect of who He is and you will find a great deal of contentment within yourself.  Let the peace of God reign in you from knowing Jesus fully.

Questions:

1. Are you experiencing the power of Christ’s resurrection in your life?
2. Do you desire to also know the fellowship of His suffering?

Prayer: Father, forgive me for only wanting the blessing of good from You and not the blessings of suffering.  Change my heart to desire Your will and Your will alone and my I rejoice in whatever situation You allow my pilgrimage to take.  Amen.