“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10).
I read that verse as a young Christian and loved the strength and power it promised me as a believer. I was full of passion and longed to preach the Gospel, change the world, and take part of miraculous healings and wondrous works. I wanted Jesus, the power He promised, and all the adventure it would bring!
But life grew hard, and I grew discouraged. Where was this power on days when I struggled to get out of bed? How was I to know Him when He felt so far away?
This wasn’t the life I imagined.
One day, I came across the verse again. But this time, I noticed something I had never seen before—the verse didn’t end after the first phrase. There was a second part!
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.”
How had I missed this?
Knowing Christ means sharing in His suffering. Job, during his days of sorrow and suffering, said to the Lord: “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5, NIV).
My hard days were not a sign that God’s power wasn’t present, or that He didn’t love me, but that He was inviting me into deeper communion with Him—to know Him in ways I previously had not.
How could I call Him my Comforter if I never needed comfort? How could He be my Strength if I never felt weak? How could He become my Hope if I never lost it?
Intimacy comes with a price. We cannot experience true intimacy and oneness if we only stay in shallow waters. If we want to know Christ, we must be prepared to let go of our comforts and see suffering as an opportunity to walk deeper into His embrace. For it is in the suffering that our eyes are opened, and we see Him in a new light.
Oh Friend, He longs for you to know Him—not superficially—but deeply and personally. Will you embrace this invitation?
