Suffering | Feb.27th

"That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death."

Philippians 3:10

Do we possess the desire to know Christ? Reading this devotional is a small reflection of that desire brought forth into action. Our prayer life, the daily reading of scripture, and gathering to worship on the Lord's day with God's people are evidence of a desire to know Christ.

Paul speaks of something that we do not often entertain, that is suffering. The Apostle desired to share in the sufferings of Christ. God providentially walks us through the sufferings of Christ through our daily experience and our faithful obedience to His word.

If we follow Christ, we have taken up our cross, counting ourselves dead to the world and our desires. We suffer at the hands of others for our faith in Christ, buffeted by the enemy of our soul, and experience the strain of resisting the spirit of this age.

The Holy Spirit enables us to be a servant of the Lord, and in turn, we serve others. We sacrifice time and set our needs aside to help others. In this way of following Christ, we share in His sufferings. Let us not shrink back today but take up our cross and follow Him. There is a depth of knowing Christ that can only come by suffering for Him.