Today’s Reading:
Philippians 3:10-14; Isaiah 64:1-12; Numbers 23:23-26
“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling. “ (Phil 3:10-14 NLT)
Charles R. Swindoll, the Senior Pastor of Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco, Texas, and the Publisher of The Swindoll Study Bible has this to say about Philippians 3:10: “In 1958 I chose Philippians 3:10 as my verse for the year. I was away from my wife in the Marine Corps, and I longed for a close walk with the Lord. I had never considered embracing suffering in the way Paul describes in this verse. What deep truth is here! Life isn’t learning a quick secret and then sitting in the stands, watching the game being played, secure in the knowledge of eternal life. Life is, in fact, a daily crushing. It is an experience in the classroom of hardship. I’ve discovered that the way I grow closer to Christ in it all is by pressing on and hanging tough regardless.”
As follower of Christ, there is a specific and unique purpose in our individual life for which Christ took hold of us. This is why every one of us must continually ask God to reveal His purpose for our lives, so that by the help of the Holy spirit, we can lay hold of all that God has planned for us. The prayer of Paul in verse 10 is a prayer for Christian growth into maturity. But Satan always distracts us by making us to focus too much on our weaknesses and areas we had fallen and failed God, instead of focusing on how far we have risen and what God can empower us to be. He wants us to focus on our past instead of our future. This is why Paul says he knows he has not attained to the height God planned for him. He has forgotten his past and he is reaching forth to those things which are ahead of him. He is pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ for him (vv. 12-14).
God wants us to focus on the strength He has bestowed on us, and not on our weaknesses; our victories and not our losses; our joys and not our problems. He wants us to press forward, focus and response to His higher call for us, and forget about our past (vv. 13-14). We are to pay more attention on what we are focusing upon, so that the works of God might be magnified in us. We are not to believe the lies and the deceit of the devil. Paul likened our Christian life to the athletic race that needs constant training and discipline before prizes can be won (1 Corin 9:24-27; 1 Tim 6:12; 2Tim 4:7-8; Matt. 24:13; Heb. 12:1). The knowledge of Christ is not just factual; it involves experiencing His power of Resurrection (v. 8; Eph. 1:17-20); the fellowship in His sufferings (Acts 9:16); and being Christ like in His death (2 Corin 4:7-12; 12:9-10). This means suffering unusual hardship in the cause of the Kingdom.
As believers, we are already positioned in His death and resurrection. The righteousness of God as revealed in Christ makes us better Christians. It transforms our lives and gives us new identity as children of God, our past and history not withstanding (2 Corin 5:17-19). We are to put away our pride in worldly achievements - who we are, our fame, attainment, race, social standing, race, sex and many more. We are to boast in our new identity in Christ, and let our desire be, like Paul, be to be like Christ in all respects, even to his sufferings, death and resurrection (vv. 10-11). Despite Paul’s suffering and imprisonment for Christ’s sake, he was still not satisfied. He devoted his life passionately to being like Christ. Like Paul we are not complete, we are to press on towards our destination in humility. Ignoring the past achievements and failures. Christ wants us to keep moving towards the goal set before us, trusting in him, until our day of victory. Our trade mark should be pressing towards the goal, and trusting Christ in all situations, until we cross the finishing line.
OLUFUNMILAYO TITILOLA ADEKUSIBE
Prayer:
Father, thank You for giving us Jesus Christ; Lord Jesus, thank you for all You have wroth for us, in Jesus name.
Create in me a pure heart by Your power O Lord, renew a right and teachable spirit within me, in Jesus name.
O Lord, produce in me the power of self-control and gentleness; teach and empower me to die to self, in Jesus name
Let the anointing of the Holy Spirit break every yoke of backwardness, stagnation, failure and bondage in my life, in Jesus name.
Let every rebellion flee from my heart and ignite me by the fire of the Holy Ghost to the glory of your holy name, in Jesus name.
I plug my life into the socket of the Resurrection Power of God, in Jesus name.
Father, feed me with the food of the champion, in Jesus name.
Father, that I may know Christ, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, in Jesus name.
Father, let there be great revival in the body of Christ, and fill us with Your love to overflow, in Jesus name.
Father, grant our leaders wisdom, understanding, knowledge of You, and instil in them the fear of YOU, in Jesus name.
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