Wednesday, April 18, 2012

To Know Christ's Power and His Sufferings - April 18

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord. And I thank You for first loving me. ...

"I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings by becoming like Him in His death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10).


I'm not content to know about You, I must know You. To know You is to know the glory of Your resurrection but also the pain of Your sufferings. And if I truly know You, I can't help but want to become more like You.


As the Son of Man walking this earth in the likeness of human flesh and blood, the Father's hand of favor and blessing was upon You. And the Holy Spirit's power and authority was within You. Every moment of every day You encountered the Presence of God and experienced the power of God, ultimately culminating in the glory of Your resurrection. But You also encountered the rejection, misunderstanding, and selfish sin of the broken, fallen world You loved so much, ultimately culminating in the sufferings of Your crucifixion.


Now for us, the servant is not above the Master; and the disciple is not above the Teacher (Matthew 10:24). So give me the courage to endure with grace whatever sufferings I encounter through my time on this earth, whether by my wrong choices or those of others. Give me hope to know You're at work through it all, seeking to work in me the nature of Christ. "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: When He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure" (1 John 2:2-3). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
www.messiah-ministries.org