Ephesians 3:14-21 KJV For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Philippians 3:7-12 KJV But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 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.
Dear Jesus,
The more I study and learn of You, the more I realize I don't know. Your truth is an unending web of interconnectivity. Each component is rich, multi-faceted, and multi-layered within itself. When all of these truths come together in the richness of scripture and Christian thought, they glisten as an unending dew-drenched web in the morning sunlight.
But I don't understand all of it. The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. The more I don't know, the more intimidated I become. But I cannot turn away in despair. I seek truth, and in You, I find it. You continue to draw me past my ignorance, and into Your heart and mind.
William Barclay wrote: "If we wait until we have understood everything, we will never start at all. But if we begin by doing God's will as we know it, God's truth will become clearer and clearer to us. We learn by doing. If a man says: 'I cannot be a Christian because there is so much of Christian doctrine that I do not understand, and I must wait until I understand it all,' the answer is: 'You never will understand it all; but if you start trying to live the Christian life, you will understand more and more of it as the days go on.' In Christianity, as in all other things, the way to learn is to do" (In The Gospel of John, vol. 1, 1955, p. 251).
William Barclay wrote: "If we wait until we have understood everything, we will never start at all. But if we begin by doing God's will as we know it, God's truth will become clearer and clearer to us. We learn by doing. If a man says: 'I cannot be a Christian because there is so much of Christian doctrine that I do not understand, and I must wait until I understand it all,' the answer is: 'You never will understand it all; but if you start trying to live the Christian life, you will understand more and more of it as the days go on.' In Christianity, as in all other things, the way to learn is to do" (In The Gospel of John, vol. 1, 1955, p. 251).
So, I do what I know to be right, just, and true. The entire web of truth is too complex for me to understand at this moment. But each glistening jewel of the web has been verified as truth to date. Therefore, I pursue truth. I pursue You. I pursue understanding, light, and spiritual illumination through the authority of Your Holy Word and the revelation of Your Holy Spirit to my heart, mind, and step. I take the next step of obedience. I "do" my way to understanding. I "act" my way into knowing.
No, I don't understand all of Your infinite goodness and grace. I cannot comprehend the entirety of Your grace, Your character, Your great salvation, or Your plan for my life. But I know that You are good, and I can trust You. So, I step forward in faith. I behave my way forward, penetrating through the wall of my own thickness, my willfulness, and my dullness, drawn by grace into Your intimate Presence and fulness in my life. Thank You for the invitation to journey ever more deeply into You.
In the Name of the All-Knowing God, Your Son Jesus Christ, and Your ever-present Helper and Comforter who compel me past my ignorance, to know You,
Amen.
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