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Blessings to you all!
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How much do you really want to know Jesus? Most Christians would probably answer, “Very much.” But Philippians 3 makes that question much more searching than it first appears. The Apostle Paul had an impressive résumé. He had the right ancestry, the right religious credentials, extensive training, and accomplishments he once valued greatly. Then he met Christ. And suddenly, everything he had once counted as gain looked like garbage by comparison. Paul wanted one thing above everything else: “That I may know Him.” But then he said something that may make us hesitate. He wanted to know Christ not only in “the power of His resurrection,” but also in “the fellowship of His sufferings.” Resurrection power sounds wonderful. Suffering is another matter. So perhaps the real question is not merely, “Do I want to know Jesus?” It is: How much do I want to know Him—and am I willing for God to use even suffering to deepen that knowledge? Today we’ll look at why Paul valued knowing Christ above everything else, what it means to know Him more deeply, and why some of the hardest seasons of life may become the places where we learn to cling to Him most.
Have you ever wondered, in the midst of some difficulty, “Is God testing me?” Does God, actually, test His people, and, if so, is testing punishment or something else? And what does God do when we fail a test? As we continue the Genesis story, Joseph will be faced with a test. How would he respond to the brothers who thought about killing him and, eventually, sold him into slavery? And his brothers will face some testing of their own, including the fear that God was punishing them for what they did to Joseph and how Joseph might retaliate. Today we’ll look at how all that played out and see how it might help us with the tests we face.
Why does God let evil people get away with it? We read about people who abuse children, traffic human beings, sell drugs to teenagers, destroy families, ruin reputations, and prey on the weak for money or power. Then there are school shootings, terrorist attacks, hate crimes, and acts of violence so horrific that we struggle even to understand them. And sometimes the people responsible seem to prosper. They have money. Influence. Freedom. Power. No apparent remorse. And no immediate consequences. It can leave us asking: Where is God? Why doesn't He stop them? Why doesn't He judge them now? Ezekiel’s message reminds us of something we can easily forget. God’s patience is not indifference. His delay is not approval. Israel had been warned again and again, and for a time it may have seemed as though judgment would never come. But it did. And Scripture tells us the same is true for every person who persists in rebellion against God. No one ultimately gets away with sin. But before we become too eager for God to deal with everyone else, there is another uncomfortable truth we need to face. We tend to want justice for their sin—and mercy for ours. So today we’ll ask two questions: Why does God sometimes delay judgment on evil? And: What should that delay teach us about His patience, our own sin, and the urgency of the gospel?
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