Day #175 - Take Hold

The Presence - A Devotional for living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:12-14 NIV

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Have you ever felt like there is more?

As a Christian, I believe that Jesus is the answer. So I’m not searching for “more” than Jesus. But in Jesus, in His gospel and in His kingdom there is so much more to experience. It’s kind of like how I love my wife and I know my wife, but after almost twenty years of marriage, there is still more I learn about her and love about her.

When Paul is writing to the Philippians, He is saying that he does not live like he has totally reached his goal. Now this is interesting because Paul is so often emphasizing what is already finished in Christ. We have victory in Christ. We have an inheritance in Christ. We are blessed in Christ. The list could go on and on. So, if we have everything we need in Christ, why is the goal not yet achieved?

Paul shares the answer, he says that we need to “take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” We are supposed to possess Christ as He possesses us. We are invited to take hold of Jesus as He has taken hold of us. He has me completely, but can I honestly say that I have laid ahold of Him to this same degree?

The key to taking hold of Jesus is to forget what is behind and strain towards what is ahead. What is ahead for us is the the goal to win the prize which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. This entire life, there will always be more for us to take hold of in Christ. Until the day He calls us to our eternal reward we are to run toward the prize of knowing, loving and beholding Jesus more and more.

Those of “the Presence” aren’t satisfied with where they are at, because they know there is more to take hold of in Christ. My Dad would always says, “I am satisfied with a dissatisfied satisfaction.” In other words, Christ is my everything but I know there is more for me to encounter and experience in Him. May God allow us to passionately pursue the prize of Christ Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank you for how You have taken hold of me. I want to take hold of You to the same degree. I have not arrived but I press in and I press upward towards heaven to pursue You. I forget what is behind and I move toward what is ahead. Wash away the shame of yesterday and renew me to pursue You afresh today. In Your name, amen.