Paul said, ‘I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death.’ Let’s take an in-depth look at this verse.

1) ‘I want to know Christ.’ There’s a difference between knowing someone and knowing about them. We can learn all about Jesus’ life, the miracles He performed, what others said about Him, and so on. But what really makes the difference in our lives is having a personal relationship with Him.

2) ‘And experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.’ What’s dead in your life that needs to be raised? There’s no problem that Christ’s resurrection power can’t handle. And we access that power when we make intimacy with Christ our top priority.

3) ‘I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death.’ We’d be more comfortable if the verse ended after the words, ‘the mighty power that raised him from the dead’. But the truth is, if we want intimacy with Christ, we must be willing to ‘suffer with Him’. For Paul, it meant being beaten, betrayed, and beheaded. But it brought a level of intimacy with Jesus that can’t be experienced any other way.

If you’ve ever walked through suffering with another person, you’ll have experienced the way the experience brings you closer together. We’ll never experience true intimacy with somebody by telling them, ‘I only want to share the good times with you.’ The strongest relationship bonds often come from the suffering we go through together; the trials that cause us to know, love, and trust each other in a newer, deeper dimension.

What Now?

Pray over each of the points in today's reading. Take your time, and give God room to speak to you. Enjoy the time of intimacy with Him.