Praying To Know and Hold Onto What We Know Is True and Reliable

 What do you wish you knew today?  We all would like to know what things are going to look like going forward.  We’re learning about mixing and matching vaccinations here in Canada as most of us await our second injection.  We’re learning about the fragility of the world dur to the inter-relation of humans and supply lines.  We’re seeing great hope in what we’ve learned with mRNA vaccines and only hope what’s come to be known will lead to medical breakthroughs going forward.

As what we know seems to increase, what we don’t know also increases doesn’t it and the uncertainty that brings to all of us is something we need to bring to God and seek His help with.

At the same time, we need to focus on what we know that really matters.  Listen to these words.

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, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.  Philippians 3:10-14

Even though Paul, who wrote these words, was in prison facing a death sentence – an unfair and unjust one at that – still he knew what he needed to know.  Do we?  Paul knew the amazing power of God and was learning that even in times of suffering God was faithful to get him through.  I’m not sure exactly what Paul had in mind when he said that he wanted to suffer with Christ and share in His death so that one way or another He would experience the resurrection from the dead!

From what he next says about not yet achieving this it makes me think that he’s trying to keep the suffering of Christ on his behalf clearly in mind as he goes through hard times himself, even if that means having to die for the cause of Christ.  How strong is our knowing?  Our faith in God’s resurrection power?  God’s making good out of the difficulty of our lives?  I think that’s what Paul was learning to know and what you and I can come to know today and find peace and rest in.

Help us today, God to be at peace, to quiet our hearts as often as needed and remember that You are God.  You are in charge.  You are taking us forward in Your great plan and that plan is full of love and goodness. 

Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. Psalm 46:10

We really don’t know what suffering lies ahead of us or what blessing and in what amount or at what time.  What we know is that You are God and that You love us and You are with us. 

We pray to be full of faith as Paul in prison was when he wrote these words:

I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. 2 Timothy 1:12

In all the things that we don’t know today, we pray to be those who have a firm faith based on what we do know and what we can be certain of.  You are trustworthy and You can guard us every day of our life and take us home to Your glory when the time is right.

Along with Job, someone who had troubles and who was tested far beyond anything I’ve experience so far, we want to affirm:

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!  Job 19:25-27

Settle our own hearts today in this sure knowledge God.  These days of the pandemic, and indeed our whole lives are just a fraction of the life of eternal blessing You have in store for all those who love You and give themselves to You.  Help us to know what we know and stand strong even as these examples before us like Paul and Job have done.  Amen

Let’s live “in the know” today that God is with us and God is for us, giving us this day to rejoice and be glad in.