To know Christ

The Verse of the Day for March 26, 2017 comes from Philippians 1:29 (NIV):

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,

This verse also brings to mind this passage from Philippians 3:10-11

God desires that each individual believer might know Christ, that is, have a personal knowledge of who he is, to know him. This kind of knowing corresponds to the Greek word ginosko, translated “to know” in the New Testament.  Biblical scholar E.W. Bullinger in his Critical Greek Concordance and Lexicon translates the verb:

To perceive, observe, obtain knowledge of or insight into.  It denotes a personal and true relationship between the person knowing and the object known, i.e. to be influenced by one’s knowledge of the object, to suffer one’s self to be determined thereby (p. 485).

Once an individual knows God on such an intimate, experiential level, that person “knows for himself or herself,” and that individual is forever changed.

God also desires that we know him, as He expresses His deep desire for intimacy on a very personal level. We come to know God through the Word of God. As we establish and maintain our relationship with him, we also experience not only the power of his resurrection but also the fellowship of sufferings, knowing that if we suffer with him we will also be glorified with him, as Romans 8:18 makes known:

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

As we move into the season preceding the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we take comfort in knowing that as we partake of his suffering, we shall also be partakers or those who share fully in the glory of his resurrection.

About four years ago, a dear friend was sharing some of the trying circumstances that he was going through at the time. While I was not living under identical conditions that generated great stress, I remarked, “I know what you mean.” He looked up at me and smiled, as he fought back the tears, recognizing that I understood at a deeper level the anguish that he was enduring at the time that we were speaking.

In a similar way, we express our desire to know Christ on such an intimate level.  We thus become “seekers of God’s heart.” We close our discussion with in this moving song by Sandi Patti, Larnelle Harris, and Steve Green:

In pursuit of wisdom

James 3:13 (NKJV), the Verse of the Day for September 16, 2015, asks a question and provides the answer:

[Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom] Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

In light of the topic of wisdom, this verse also brings to mind a series of teachings posted as blog entries entitled “Words of Wisdom”—a daily dose of “words to the wise.” Here is one of the entries modified and re-posted below:  

The Psalmist offers this exhortation:

So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.[Psalm 90:12 KJV]

As life-long learners, ever-eager students in the University of Life, we are continually learning more about God and our relationship with Him, particularly in terms of applying principles of wisdom, for each day abounds with opportunities to learn and grow.The following poem mentions wisdom in light of seeking the Spirit of Wisdom:

In Pursuit of Wisdom

If you seek skillful and godly wisdom as you would silver

And search for her as you would hidden treasures;

Then you will understand the [reverent] fear of the Lord  

[that is, worshiping Him

and regarding Him as truly awesome]

And discover the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:4-5 [Amplified Bible]

We chase an enemy, motivated to win,

To relentlessly follow and then overtake,

As a hunter reads footprints and tracks down his game,

So your fragrance arouses us as we awake.

This desire, a fire, flames the passion deep within.

Though we have felt your touch and kissed your lips before,

As lovers pursues their beloved, so do we

Yearn to be with you and to know you even more,

Assured that all who pursue you shall also find.

As the sun rises to follow its daily course,

Zealously we seek you with our heart and soul and mind,

As one traces a winding river to its source.

As one forsakes all to pursue a priceless treasure,

So we seek the spirit of wisdom’s good pleasure.

The last line of the poem brings to mind another song that captures the essence of that for which we are seeking: “Seekers of Your Heart” rendered by Steve Green, Sandi Patty and Larnelle Harris.

But without faith

Hebrews 11:6 KJV

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

In this post which is reprinted from a year ago, the Verse of the Day for May 1, 2015 reminds us of God’s response to those who seek earnestly Him. As children we played “Hide and Seek,” whereby sometimes we would be those who would hide while others would “seek us out.” At other times we would be the ones doing the seeking while our playmates were hiding. In a similar manner, we often play hide and seek with God. It seems that at times He’s doing all the hiding, and we’re doing all the seeking. No, we’re doing all the hiding, and He’s doing all the seeking, so it may appear to be.

We must remember the word of the Savior who reminded the woman at the well in Samaria that “God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. . . . For the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”(John 4:23-24, 29)

II Chronicles 16:9 also offers this reminder:

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him….”

One of my favorite passages from the Old Testament is found in Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV­)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11, known as the Hall of Faith, introduces a particular individual who diligently followed after God and sought to please him. That individual, of course, is Enoch who is spoken of in the preceding verse:

Hebrews 11:5

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

As I endeavor to follow hard after God and diligently seek Him, I think of Enoch who inspired this poem:

Enoch’s Song

Hebrews 11:5

 

My heart’s song is to so sing like Enoch,

With all that lies within me, with each breath,

That I too may walk with God and please Him,

That one day when they seek me, I shall not

Be found, for I will have been gathered, caught

Up to meet the Lord in the clouds forever,

Never to taste the bitter root of death

But savor the sweetness of His favor.

That to do His will was my sole desire–

May I leave behind this testimony

Written on the pages of pure a heart

Prepared for the marriage ceremony,

Blameless in His presence with nothing to hide,

So transformed and fashioned to be the bride.

Like Enoch we want to our lives to be living testimonies of those who are “Seekers of Your Heart,” so poignantly expressed in this song featuring Sandi Patty, Steve Green and Larnelle Harris:

Sharing fully the sufferings and the glory

Revised and re-posted, the Verse of the Day for March 26, 2015 comes from Philippians 1:29 (NIV):

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.

The verse is rendered this way in the Amplified Bible:

²⁹ For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake not only to believe in (adhere to, rely on, and trust in) Him, but also to suffer in His behalf.

This particular verse also brings to mind Philippians 3:10-11 (Amplified Bible):

10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] 11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].

God desires that each individual believer might know Christ, that is, have a personal knowledge of who he is, to know him. This kind of knowing corresponds to the Greek word ginosko, translated “to know” in the New Testament.  Biblical scholar E.W. Bullinger in his Critical Greek Concordance and Lexicon translates the verb:

To perceive, observe, obtain knowledge of or insight into.  It denotes a personal and true relationship between the person knowing and the object known, i.e. to be influenced by one’s knowledge of the object, to suffer one’s self to be determined thereby (p. 485).

Once an individual knows God on such an intimate, experiential level, that person “knows for himself or herself,” and that individual is forever changed.

God desires that we know him, as He expresses His deep desire for intimacy on a very personal level. We come to know God through the Word of God. As we establish and maintain our relationship with him, we also experience not only the power of his resurrection but also the fellowship of sufferings, a sharing fully, knowing that if we suffer with him we will also be glorified with him, as Romans 8:18 makes known:

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

As we move into the season preceding the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we take comfort in knowing that as we partake of his suffering, we shall also be partakers or those who share fully in the glory of his resurrection.

In expressing our desire to know Christ on such an intimate level, we become “seekers of God’s heart,” expressed in this moving song by Sandi Patti, Larnelle Harris, and Steve Green:

James 1:5: Asking God for wisdom

The Verse of the Day for January 23, 2015 can be viewed as a follow-up to the Verse of the Day from the previous day where we focused our attention on the verbs, “ask, seek, and knock,” as revealed in Matthew 7:7-8. Today we are looking at the blog entry posted a year ago and modifying it, as we direct our attention to James 1:5 in the New Living Translation:

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

This exhortation from James brings to mind the exhortation to pursue wisdom. Asking God for wisdom can be seen as part of our pursuing of wisdom which we are asked to do, not only in James 1:5 but throughout the Book of Proverbs as well. The idea of pursuing wisdom brought to mind an incident that occurred a number of years ago.

I recall going on a field trip to the Indiana Dunes State Park, outside of Gary, Indiana, when I was in middle school, what we called “junior high school,” back in the day. Somehow I came across a small stream running through a wooded area. As I followed the creek through the winding woods, I was determined to find the area where the stream began, but as I progressed, the size of the stream remained the same and continued to flow on seemingly endlessly. After about a half an hour, I realized that I needed to get back to area where we supposed to meet before departing on the bus and returning to “the Steel City.” When I arrived at the place where we were to meet, I learned that I was quite late, and that I had delayed their departure.

As I was reflecting upon the exhortation to ask God for wisdom, this experience from my childhood came to mind, in light of the directive to pursue wisdom, to search diligently for wisdom, and wholeheartedly seek to find this valuable spiritual entity. I also thought of the following poem that is related to one of the Seven Spirits of God spoken of in Isaiah 11:2 and elsewhere:

 The Spirit of Wisdom

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom.

  And in all your getting, get understanding.

 Proverbs 4:7 NKJV

 

As I finish my course, I shall walk and not faint

And cause to flee, as one chases an enemy.

As a hunter tracks down his game with no restraint,

So your fragrance arouses me as I awake.

Desire, a fire, flames the passion deep within me.

Though I have felt your touch and kissed your lips before.

As a lover pursues his beloved, so I

Yearn to be with you and to know you even more,

Assured that all who pursue you shall also find.

As the sun rises to follow its daily course,

Zealously I seek you with my heart and soul and mind,

As one traces a winding river to its source.

As one forsakes all to pursue a priceless treasure,

So I seek the Spirit of Wisdom’s good pleasure.

 

Although that experience occurred almost sixty years ago, I am still asking for wisdom while earnestly seeking to find the source of all life, the river of life, from which flows wisdom, knowledge, understanding and all the attributes of God.

The last line of the poem brings to mind a song that captures the essence of who all believers desire to be: “Seekers of Your Heart” rendered by Steve Green, Sandi Patty and Larnelle Harris.

Hebrews 11:5-6: Enoch’s song

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6KJV

The Verse of the Day for May 1, 2014 reminds us of God’s response to those who seek earnestly Him. As children we played “Hide and Seek,” whereby sometimes we would be those who would hide while others would “seek us out.” At other times we would be the ones doing the seeking while our playmates were hiding. In a similar manner, we often play hide and seek with God. It seems that at times He’s doing all the hiding, and we’re doing all the seeking. No, we’re doing all the hiding, and He’s doing all the seeking, so it may appear to be.

We must remember the word of the Savior who reminded the woman at the well in Samaria that “God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. . . . For the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”(John 4:23-24)

II Chronicles 16:9 also offers this reminder:

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him….”

One of my favorite passages from the Old Testament is found in Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV­)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11, known as the Hall of Faith, introduces a particular individual who diligently followed after God and sought to please him. That individual, of course, is Enoch who is spoken of in the preceding verse:

Hebrews 11:5

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

As I endeavor to follow hard after God and diligently seek Him, I think of Enoch, who inspired this poem:

Enoch’s Song

Hebrews 11:5

 

My heart’s song is to so sing like Enoch,

With all that lies within me, with each breath,

That I too may walk with God and please Him,

That one day when they seek me, I shall not

Be found, for I will have been gathered, caught

Up to meet the Lord in the clouds forever,

Never to taste the bitter root of death

But savor the sweetness of His favor.

That to do His will was my sole desire–

May I leave behind this testimony

Written on the pages of pure a heart

Prepared for the marriage ceremony,

Blameless in His presence with nothing to hide,

So transformed and fashioned to be the bride.

 

Like Enoch we want to our lives to be living testimonies of those who are “Seekers of Your Heart,” so poignantly expressed in this song featuring Sandi Patty, Steve Green and Larnelle Harris:

Philippians 1:29 and 3:10

The Verse of the Day for March 26, 2014 also brings to mind this passage from Philippians 3:10-11

God desires that each individual believer might know Christ, that is, have a personal knowledge of who he is, to know him. This kind of knowing corresponds to the Greek word ginosko, translated “to know” in the New Testament. Biblical scholar E.W. Bullinger in his Critical Greek Lexicon and Concordance translates the verb:

To perceive, observe, obtain knowledge of or insight into. It denotes a personal and true relationship between the person knowing and the object known, i.e. to be influenced by one’s knowledge of the object, to suffer one’s self to be determined thereby (p. 485).

Once an individual knows God on such an intimate, experiential level, that person “knows for himself or herself,” and that individual is forever changed.

God desires that we know him, as He expresses His deep desire for intimacy on a very personal level. We come to know God through the Word of God. As we establish and maintain our relationship with him, we also experience not only the power of his resurrection but also the fellowship of sufferings, knowing that if we suffer with him we will also be glorified with him, as Romans 8:18 makes known:

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

As we move into the season preceding the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we take comfort in knowing that as we partake of his suffering, we shall also be partakers or those who share fully in the glory of his resurrection.

In expressing our desire to know Christ on such an intimate level, we become “seekers of God’s heart,” expressed in this moving song by Sandi Patty, Larnelle Harris, and Steve Green:

 

“Words of Wisdom”—a daily dose of “words to the wise”–Day 8

As we go through life, we encounter difficult situations whereby we can grow if we apply the lessons learned.

Many times as I begin my day in a meditative way, a passage of scripture or song lyrics will come to mind to jumpstart my day. This morning I thought of the lyrics to a powerful song performed by Barbra Streisand called “Lessons to be Learned:

Why did that right road take that wrong turn?

Why did our heart break, and why did we get burned?

Just like the seasons there are reasons for the path we take:

There are no mistakes—only lessons to be learned.

I began to think of some of the lessons that God is teaching me this season of my life. As a life-long learner, an ever-eager student in the University of Life, I am continually learning more about God and my relationship with Him, particularly in terms of applying the principles of wisdom, not just this month during this time of sharing “Words of Wisdom” from the Book of Proverbs, but each day abounds with opportunities to learn and grow.

A most valuable lesson that I am learning relates to using wisdom in terms of the words that we speak. An original poem that mentions wisdom in the context of the Spirit of Wisdom is “The Power of the Tongue:”

The Power of the Tongue

But the tongue can no man tame;

it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison

James 3:8

 

We know the tongue has power to generate life,

To produce seeds that will eventually take root

And will bring forth two very different kinds of fruit:

Love, joy and peace or envy, confusion and strife

Can build or destroy a brother, a friend, a wife.

With his hand, the helmsman easily turns great ships,

So I covenant to guard the gates of my lips,

For words can heal or pierce the heart as a sharp knife.

I desire life and long to see good all my days,

So I speak the truth and refrain from speaking lies.

Like Jesus, I want my tongue to speak what God says.

I seek to be wise but never in my own eyes.

Pressing toward the finish, the coming of God’s kingdom,

I seek not just a word but the Spirit of wisdom.

The last line of the poem brings to mind another song that captures the essence of that for which I am seeking: “Seekers of Your Heart” rendered by Steve Green, Sandi Patty and Larnelle Harris.

This blog entry is another in a series featuring a daily dose of “words to the wise,” poetically expressed from the Book of Proverbs.