Daily Devotional for Sunday, February 23

A High Level of Fellowship with Christ

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;' Philippians 3:10.

If you have ever gone on a mission trip with a group of people, you will understand what I am about to tell you. There is a depth of friendship, sometimes among complete strangers, that is unexplainable. If the trip is to a remote or primitive part of the world, it is even stronger. You are introduced to a group of people at the check-in counter of the airport then two weeks later you are planning on attending their children's birthday parties for years to come. Who knows the reason why. It could be that you are on mission together in the unity of Spirit. It could be sharing in a continuous act of service. In all seriousness, sharing life alongside someone in a spirit of humility and service means that you share the highs and the lows together. When people partake in the same successes or the same sufferings, they are bonded in such a powerful way.

We should long to fellowship with Christ and to really know Him. We can experience the same power that raised Jesus from the grave in our daily lives by walking with Him daily and seeking Him in our needs, our joys, our ministry, our relationships and so on. This also means that to know Christ, we must also share in His sufferings. This may be persecution, but it can also be dying to sin. For Paul, as for most of the early believers, this was a literal reference to being stoned, homeless, poor, whipped, imprisoned and even shipwrecked. Are we willing to put aside earthly treasures and pursuits to have such an intimate relationship with Christ and follow Him wherever He leads?

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Are you willing to use your freedom to count everything as loss to follow after Christ? (See Philippians 3:7-12.)

Ashley Ridings