The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"The Most Devoted"
"Our most devoted Christian realizes he can know some. He can know more. But he can never know all. He sees that the more he knows and the the more his present knowledge of God may grow, his voyage into eternal glory has just begun."
Somewhere in this world, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ may exist who best knows God, and most lives in accordance with His truth. Scripture suggests this possibility of measurable godliness by calling Christians to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18). If it be true that some believer has most grown in God's grace and truth, we can be sure of one thing: he or she has absolutely no idea of his or her "most devoted"consecration and status. In fact, the most devoted likely believes the exact opposite.
Upon first consideration, we might credit humility as the motivator of such a sublime heart and attitude. "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 18:14). Certainly, those who well know the Lord bear a deep and abiding humility wrought by the Holy Spirit within their hearts. However, another grace actually originates the lack of self-accolade and affirmation. Knowledge, both personal and doctrinal, produces such humility. That is, the believer who knows the Lord and His truth most vividly sees the infinite magnitude of His goodness and greatness. Such glory known and embraced elicits the keen awareness that regardless of how far we venture into the heart of God, a vast and unending journey awaits us. "His greatness is unsearchable" (Psalm 145:3). This causes the most devoted to be most aware that "if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know" (I Corinthians 8:2). Thus, he most experiences the true godliness whereby he realizes that a shoreless ocean of discovery evermore stretches out before him. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33).
Our most devoted Christian realizes he can know some. He can know more. But he can never know all. He sees that the more he knows and the more his knowledge of God may grow, his voyage into eternal glory has just begun. This causes a sense of wonder that leads to the personal awareness of how near to his port of departure he remains. In the light of such realization, the most devoted does not know he is the most devoted. Nor will he ever. We all do well to join him in the awareness of our need to climb higher, dive deeper, and soar higher into the eternal and infinite glory of God. No less than the Apostle Paul knew the truth we consider. We close with his confession that bears witness to how far into his Lord he had journeyed - and how much further he realized his need to proceed:
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3:12-14)
Weekly Memory Verse
Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? he retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy.
(Micah 7:18)
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