The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:13,
Paul was imprisoned for his love of Jesus Christ and the work he did on his behalf. Having been ordained by the Lord himself when confronted on the road to Damascus, Paul pursued his charge with passion.
Earlier in his life, as Paul [Saul] left on a trip to Damascus, he was in a fitful passion to persecute the fledgling early church. When he arrived in Damascus, he had gained an entirely new passion as he had an encounter with the risen Lord en route: to serve Jesus Christ with his whole heart, soul and body. His later imprisonment was incapable of extinguishing any of his new-found passion for the Lord.
What was it Paul found in Jesus Christ that inspired such passion, such devotion? What was it that Paul saw in him, such that imprisonment placed not even the slightest damper on the joy he experienced - even while incarcerated? Further, we read that Paul was even happy to die for the Lord, another potential consequence that could not dampen his joy, his passion, his love of the Lord. Philippians 1:18-26.
There were others we read of as well. The writer of Hebrews reminds his readers of the persecution they faced with joy, in their anticipation of what was coming their way in their faith in the Lord, "Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." Hebrews 10:32-34.
What was it these folks saw in the Lord that inspired such joy, such passion, such devotion, even in the face of suffering and death? It seems to me that, at the least, part of it must have been that these folks saw in the Lord those things the human heart hungers for, seeks for and yet never finds in a level of satisfaction in this life. Things like righteousness, justice, faithfulness, and a love that transcends our understanding. I firmly believe we all hunger for these qualities that mark the very character and nature of our Creator. Since the fall of man, since our estrangement from our Creator, we long for what we were designed for - a level of intimacy with our God. Those qualities he possesses are the very things we yearn for, we have a passion for and as we rediscover them, find them in Jesus Christ, we find a fullness and a satisfaction of what our hearts have longed for.
I am reminded of the psalmist's words, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" Psalm 42:1-2.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
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