Knowing God

It's amazing how good life can be even when things aren't particularly great. Nothing exciting is going on, school is extremely stressful and difficult, I can't seem to get a job, I have trouble staying awake long enough to do homework....yet life is great. I attribute it all to God working in my life and bringing me supernatural joy. Ever since going to a conference in December God has been changing my heart drastically. I finally had the desire to turn my life over to Him and follow Christ recklessly. I no longer want to just be a "good" person, rather I want to know Jesus and know God for who He really is. I want to have a relationship with Him that surpasses everything and is more valuable to me than anything on this earth. Philippians 3:8 says,

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. 

I desire to know my Lord and Savior in such a way; I pray for the strength and faith to continuously work towards a relationship so intimate. In drawing closer to Him I know my life will be changed in ways more drastic than I can even imagine. I know that I will find more joy, more love, and more grace and that these attributes will flow from within me. I know that I will become more like Christ and desire to obey Him simply because I want to please the Father more than any desire to sin. All of this change resulting from the Holy Spirit working in me to transform my mind and conform my will to the Father's. Without the Holy Spirit working in me my work would be in vain, my heart would never change, my desire to sin would trump my desire to serve the Lord, the process of sanctification in my life would stop completely.

 I am so grateful to God for the way He works in my life. He uses the message of Jesus coming as a man to live the life I could not live and die the death I deserved to die to draw me to Him. Without Christ's sacrifice my life is nothing. Without His work on the cross, I would not and could not come to know the Father. He deserves my whole life and I desire to give it to Him to use as He desires. I want to share with the world what an amazing gift I've been given in Christ Jesus. John 17:3 says, 

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Jesus dying on the cross and being raised to life made this possible. Without His sacrifice eternal life would be completely out of reach. To know God and Jesus is eternal life. One day I will be able to know God without all of my human limitations and it will be an eternity of unadulterated communion with Him. An eternity of knowing God....knowing my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 16:11