Nancy Taylor Tate
“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” Colossians 1:27.
It is not hard to see, there is much agitation in society today. May we never miss an opportunity to glorify Christ with our words and actions!
Recently, while wearing my mask, I smiled at someone – only to get a blank stare back. As I walked away, I suddenly realized I not only had my mask on, but my sunglasses! They couldn’t even see my eyes crinkle, let alone my smile. I realized the problem was with me, not them! Masks may be required, but sunglasses aren’t. There are times we simply need to go the second mile to connect with those around us.
“Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you” Ephesians 4:32 (AMP).
We have a mission! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16. May His purpose be fulfilled in and through our lives!
“So don’t hide your light! Let it shine brightly before others, so that the commendable things you do will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:16 (TPT).
Beyond even that, the Lord is working toward maturity in our own lives. Christ is being formed in us, that we might reflect Him more clearly today and also be ready for eternity. There, we will stand before His throne and give an account of those things we did in this life. Yet it is not just what we have done, but what we have become!
The Father is looking for a harvest that resembles His Son. When we stand before the Lord, how much of Christ will have been formed in us? The parable of the sower talks about those who have received the seed, then grow, thirty-fold, sixty-fold, or one hundred-fold (Matthew 13:18-23). How committed are we? To what degree are we willing to allow Christ to work in our lives?
In The Fellowship of His Sufferings, Wade Taylor writes about Paul’s deep desire to experientially know the Lord. He then shares some of his own experiences, emphasizing the importance of allowing the Lord to bring us through difficult times, even when we don’t understand.
One of my favorite books in the Bible is Philippians, where Paul writes so personally, that he uses the first-person pronoun at least one hundred times, expressing his own desire for the Lord, then encouraging the Philippian church in their walk and relationship with the Lord.
In my article, That I May Know Him, I express from my own heart this same desire “to know Him more.” Salvation is the first step of a beautiful, new relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, it is the Lord’s desire that we “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
In the Bible, from beginning to end, we see the seeking heart of God. He desires to be known and to have fellowship with us. In Genesis, the Lord is calling out to Adam (Genesis 3:9). In Revelation, the Lord is knocking, as He stands and looks to see if anyone will hear His voice and open the door (Revelation 3:20). How the Lord longs to fellowship with us!
May the travail of His soul be satisfied! May our lives be pleasing to the Lord and encourage others to want to know Christ in a deeper way.
May we not be like Philip, to whom the Lord said, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me…?” (John 14:9a) I can’t imagine anything that would be more heartbreaking to hear at the end of this life, than the works I did were my own, not what He desired.
The Lord is longing for us to grow up into Him, that we might become a part of who He is, a sample of Him in the earth today. We are called to be a witness unto Him (Acts 1:8). The reflection of Christ is to be seen in our lives. As we are changed to be “as He is” (1 John 4:17), we can then be carriers of His love to others.
We are called to be a resting place, a home for the presence of the Lord. First and foremost, we are to be that which the Lord can take joy in, in the earth today. As we come into an identification with who He is, through our union with Him, others can then find peace, encouragement, and love through our lives. What a great need there is for this today.
May we be encouraged in our walk and relationship with the Lord. In our devotional times! In the choices we make. May we allow the Lord to work in our lives, establishing a strong foundation within, one that will stand, come what may, as He draws us ever closer to Himself. May we be brought up into a closer identity with the Lord, who He is, and what He is doing. And if in anything we are otherwise minded, may the Lord show us (Philippians 3:15).
For this is our hope and joy! That we apprehend that for which we have been apprehended. That we ever grow in our knowledge of the Lord, as we are changed to be more like Him. That the Lord be pleased! That we reach our full potential. And that others might be encouraged through our lives.