Modified from Previous Post 2019

 

A 30-year-old male executive sat in the office of his pscyho-therapist, despondent, depressed, trying to make sense of his life, said to his counselor, “I have reached the pinnacle of my career. I have a six-figure salary, a new sports car, a wife, three children, and a new home.  I can buy anything I want, whenever I want; yet, I feel empty and lost inside so I am here to ask you, “Is there more to life…is this it?”

 

 

The Chief of Surgery in a prominent hospital in New York City makes life and death decisions every day, especially with the stresses of COVID-19. She sat in a hotel room with an overdose of sleeping pills lying before her.  Feeling empty, lost, and unfulfilled, she asked herself, “Is there more to life; is this it?”

 

 

A pastor of a mega-church with an international television and radio ministry reaching millions with the gospel of Jesus Christ, sat alone in his church office, overwhelmed, exhausted, and at his wit’s end, cried out to the Lord one night, “Lord, I can’t do this anymore! Is there more to life; is this it?”

 

 

Do these stories sound familiar to anyone? It does to me. Over 25 years ago, I sat up in bed in the wee hours of the morning, after soaking my pillow with tears, hungering to experience more of the life of God in my soul. I cried out to Him, “Lord, I am so hungry and thirsty for You! Please fill me! All these years I have learned so much about You by reading the Bible, attending seminary, and ministering to others but I don’t feel I really know You at all… is this it?”

 

Have you ever experienced this or are you experiencing, is this it, right now? You are not alone. It doesn’t matter if you have never met the Lord or you have been saved all of your life. There comes a time in each of our lives our souls cry out to the Lord for intimacy. I don’t mean praying or reading the Bible more, I mean a deep connection and affection only the Lord within our souls and spirits can give. There will be these moments or seasons in our lives where our souls call out to God. It is during these times, Christ is wooing the soul for deeper intimacy with Him. Rejoice, my brother and sister, it is our Lord who leads and guides us to this path. The experience may be a little different for each of us but the feelings are the same. It feels like you are hungering and thirsting for more. There is a discontentment, nagging, and uneasiness within that refuse to go away. It seems like no matter what you do, it just won’t go away. I want to share a scripture today that may shed some light on the place where you are walking.

 

In Philippians Chapter 3 verses 5-10 of the Amplified Classic Edition, our brother Paul had a very similar experience. As he looked throughout the course of his life and all the accomplishments attained, he said:

 

 ⁷ But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [one combined] loss for Christ’s sake.

 

 ⁸ Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake, I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),

  

⁹ And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith.

 

 ¹⁰ [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope].

 

In the above scriptures, Paul spoke of a knowledge of Jesus Christ which meant more than just learning about Him; he said: “That I may progressively become more DEEPLY AND INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED WITH HIM.”

 

 MERE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST CAN NEVER SATISFY OUR SOULS

IT IS KNOWLEDGE SHARED WITH CHRIST THAT SATISFIES THE SOUL

 

The word ‘Knowledge’ in the Bible has more than one meaning; let’s look at two of them:

 

 Eido – to learn by using the senses, learn by observation, to interview, inspect, to study.

Ginosko– become known of, intimate, to understand, to experience, or have an encounter with.

 

We all learn by listening, reading, and hearing with our senses. We take in information and process it. This kind of knowledge requires using the soul to ascertain and remember; this kind of learning is called Eido. Because our Lord Jesus, Father, and Holy Spirit are Spirits, we get to know them through a different process, Ginosko… experiencing Them, especially through trials and difficulties in our lives. During those times, we must turn to our Lord and ask Him, “Lord, how do you want to handle this situation?”

 

He wants us to experience:

 

• The Wonders of His Grace and Life Within Us
• The Heights and Depths of His Love For Us
• The Riches of Our Inheritance In Christ
• The Excellence of His Divine Character Living In and Through Us
• The Truth of Why He Created Us and His Design for our Lives.

 

 Don’t miss out on all the Father has prepared so intimately just for YOU!

 

TO KNOW HIM BY EXPERIENCING HIM!

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Enjoy Life and Enjoy Him!