Go All the Way
...And go all the way with him... Philippians 3:10
While John was a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos, far from his loved ones and surrounded by the cries of abused captives, he had a vision of Jesus. He writes, '...When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead...' (Revelation 1:17 NKJV). Incredible revelation in the midst of confinement, chaos and pain; that's how it works! The difficult circumstances you're going through right now can actually clear your perceptions, cause you to seek God as never before, and find answers for your life. John's predicament proves that negative experiences don't hide the Lord; they reveal Him. Instead of destroying you, Satan's attack can actually develop you. Yes, it stresses you, but it also stretches you spiritually. In Hebrews chapter 11 we see two things: the deeds of their faith and the depth of their faith. Where did God prove His faithfulness to Daniel? In the lions' den. Where did the Lord reveal Himself to the three Hebrew children? In a fire heated seven times over. There's a place in God where fiery trials consume everything except your desire to know Him. Though that place may sometimes escape your grasp, never let it escape your gaze. It was Paul's all-consuming goal: 'I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him.' There it is: no reservations, no retreat, and no regrets; just a desire to know God intimately and a commitment to 'go all the way with him.' Let that be your heart's desire today!
- UCB Word For Today 21/May/2010