Charles Stanley (March-11-2024) Daily Devotional: Intimacy With God.
The most precious gift our Lord gives us is the privilege of a close personal relationship with Him.
Philippians 3:7-16 - But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
What’s the goal of the Christian life? Some may say it’s to become increasingly righteous or to tell others the good news of salvation. But the apostle Paul said his goal was to know Christ intimately. Is that your primary pursuit as well? When that’s our great desire, righteous living and passion for the gospel will follow.
Intimacy grows as we immerse ourselves in God’s Word. Through our reading, study, and meditation on Scripture, the Lord reveals Himself to us. But intimacy isn’t merely an exercise of the mind. It includes the engagement of our emotions as we love, serve, and worship Him. The more we get to know the Lord through His Word, the deeper our love and devotion to Him will become.
Another vital aspect of intimacy with God is an increased desire to obey Him. As we attune our hearts and minds to care about the things that matter to God, we’ll delight to do what He says.
Have you settled for a superficial connection with the Lord? Salvation isn’t just the door to heaven; it’s the pathway to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior until we have the most satisfying of all possible relationships.
