The privilege of knowing Christ‏

Phil 3:7

 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Who are the people you really know? They are the ones who have gone through the valleys with you. You have been open to share your pain and failure along with the triumphs. The people you know give you a lift because they understand you and know what you have endured. When you think about knowing God, ask yourself,"What does God know about me? Does he still love me in spite of all that?"

There is an additional benefit to knowing Christ: he knows the way to the Father. He has made arrangements for you to become like a child and sit on the lap of your heavenly Father and pour out your heart. He promised to wipe away every tear from your eyes. With him there is fulness of joy that never ends. And once you know him, you will love him.                      
Amen.