“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” – Psalm 119:05 NIV

Sometimes we get lost along the way. We lose sight of the real light. Maybe we get distracted with the fireflies or the sounds of the night? We end up walking around without the real light. Then, we start stumbling around in the dark. We may even fall down and crash into those around us; not only hurting ourselves, but also those around us. Anyone (even “strong” people) can fall down, if they lose focus of the path before them and can not see where they are walking. From reading the above verse, we know that the only real light for our path is God’s word. If we fail to read His word daily, we won’t have the light we need for each day. We are sure to fall down and lose our way along the path. Yet, we can’t expect to see any farther than today. God only gives us enough light for each day. He doesn’t let the light shine farther than the barriers of today. Why? Because He doesn’t want us to become overwhelmed by what lies ahead. Why should we be worried about tomorrow? God already knows what is there and preparing the way. But, we need to make sure we have just enough light for today’s steps.

Dear Lord Jesus, please help us to keep our eyes focused on You and Your word. May we commit to reading Your word and communicating with You daily. Amen.

“I want to know Him. I want to have the same power in my life that raised Jesus from the dead. I want to understand and have a share in His sufferings and be like Christ in His death. Then I may be raised up from among the dead.”

 – Philippians 3:10-11 

 In Philippians 3:10, Paul writes “….I want to understand and have a share in His sufferings and be like Christ in His death.” Developing a relationship with an individual involves not only communicating with them, but also sharing experiences a with that individual. We share not only positive experiences with them, but also very difficult experiences with them. Here Paul writes about sharing in the suffering of Christ. This is not an isolated case. A number of other scriptures also talk about sharing in the suffering of Christ (1 Peter 4:13, 2 Corinthians 1:5, and Romans 8:17-18). In these verses, suffering with Christ appears to be a requisite for sharing in His glory. It is especially during this time of the year, that we are reminded: our humanly suffering is nothing in comparison to the suffering of Christ (when He paid the price for our sins on the cross). 1 Peter 2:21-22 says “…But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.” Sometimes, we suffer for obeying God or trying to help others. The self-control we must exercise to obey God or follow His will, may feel like suffering. Also, in our efforts to help others by sharing in their hardships, we may feel their pain and share in their suffering. In these ways, we share in His suffering. Yet, all of this is nothing in comparison to the suffering of Christ. Philippians 3:10 also mentions sharing in the death of Christ. What does it mean to share in the death of Christ? Romans 6:6-8 says, “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.” It means our sinful human nature must die, so that it no longer has power over us. Living with Christ means having an intimate relationship with Him and ultimately sharing in the power of His resurrection.

Dear Lord Jesus, please help us to experience You on a deeper level. Amen.

“I want to know Him. I want to have the same power in my life that raised Jesus from the dead. I want to understand and have a share in His sufferings and be like Christ in His death. Then I may be raised up from among the dead.”

 – Philippians 3:10-11

This verse is quite fitting for this week, since it is Holy Week. The big question here is what does it mean to know Jesus Christ (described as the “holy righteous one” in Acts 3:14)? If someone asked you: do you know Jesus Christ? How would you answer that question? In order to answer that question, we must ask ourselves the following question: do we really know Him or do we just know about Him? Imagine having a favorite celebrity (that you have never met) and knowing all of these random facts about him or her. And, then someone asks you if you know that Celebrity. Would you be giving an honest answer if you said yes? Absolutely not. Why? Well, if you asked the celebrity if he or she knew you, the celebrity would say no. The point is the only way to know someone is to have a personal relationship with them. Thus, we must have a personal relationship with Christ to be able to honestly say that we know Him. Any relationship requires two-way communication. Are we really communicating with Jesus? Are we not only faithful in prayer, but also diligent and patient in listening? We know that God is always listening to us. We just need to speak to Him. It doesn’t matter what time it is or where we are. 1 John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”Furthermore, not only does He listen to us, but He speaks to us. John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Notice how it says, “I know them,..” Knowing Jesus involves not only speaking, but also listening.

Think about the lyrics to this song: What Do I Know of Holy performed by Addison Road

“Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.”

 – Proverbs 27:6

Have you ever been wounded by a friend? How does it feel? Nobody likes hearing unpleasant things about themselves. But, if you have a real friend, that person is going to be honest with you and tell you the truth (even if it hurts). Candor is an important quality to look for in friends. A candid friend will always tell you things the way they are, because they care about you and love you. And, they aren’t afraid to tell you the truth, because they know they are doing you more harm to you by not telling you truth. They aren’t afraid to lose your friendship, because they care more about your well-being. They know that at the end of the day, you will resent them more for not being real with them than for telling the truth (no matter how ugly it may be). They know that flattery (defined as excessive or insincere praise) will hurt you more in the long run. Proverbs 29:5 says, “To flatter friends is to lay a trap for their feet.” Flattery hurts people more than the truth, because it gives them an air inflated view of themselves. An inflated ego will hurt a person more than the truth, because they will think more highly of themselves than they should. Romans 12:3 says, “…Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Of course, there is nothing wrong with complimenting a friend, if it is truth and you sincerely mean it. But, if you find a close “friend” that only compliments and praises you, you should be weary of that. Perhaps, that person may not be a real friend. If that individual is always agreeing with your opinions, motives (perhaps selfish), and actions; than that should give you even further reason evaluate your “friendship” with that person. However, if you find a friend that tells you things the way they are, then you are fortunate to have found a real friend. In that case, you should be receptive of what they have to say. Proverbs 17:10 says, “Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool.” I will warn you, however, that it isn’t always easy to hear the truth. But, being able to take candid rebukes, exhortation, criticism (constructive), and advice from a real friend will not only strengthen/improve your relationship with them, but also strengthen/improve you as an individual. Proverbs 27:15-20 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” A real friend is going to push you to be your best version of you.

Dear Lord Jesus, please give us the discernment to know the difference between a real friend and a fake friend. Please give us whatever it takes to be completely receptive to what they have to say. And, please help us to be real friends, who “sharpen” (improve) those around us. Amen.