Know to Grow
Knowing Christ is a journey, not just a destination — each step unfolding His heart to ours.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above, April 26 – "KNOW TO GROW"
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reading draws us deeper into the heart of spiritual growth — that knowing Christ is not a one-time event but a lifelong unfolding. The devotional highlights that many believers first experience the relief of sins forgiven through faith in Christ’s work, but do not yet truly know Christ Himself. It is one thing to touch His garment, so to speak, and another to abide in intimate fellowship with His person.
We are reminded that the recognition of our deep personal need — often through the painful discovery of the self-life — becomes the gateway to greater knowledge of Christ. The Holy Spirit uses our needs not to shame us, but to draw us ever deeper into the sufficiency of Christ. It is through beholding Him, not ourselves, that we are transformed (2 Cor. 3:18).
The normal Christian life, according to this devotional, is not one of self-improvement but of continual discovery — “that I may know Him” becomes our anthem (Phil. 3:10). Growth is not fueled by striving harder, but by a greater unveiling of Christ's life within. In every trial, every longing, every apparent lack, God is gently pressing us closer to Himself.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have drawn you to Myself with cords of kindness, with bands of love. I have brought you not only to forgiveness, but to union with My Son. This is life eternal, that you may know Me, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom I have sent.
As you behold Him with unveiled face, you are being transformed from one degree of glory to another. This comes not by effort but by the Spirit who indwells you.
I have given you a heart to know Me, for you are My child. I am the vine, you are the branch; apart from Me you can do nothing, but in Me you bear much fruit.
Therefore, seek not merely to touch My hem but to rest in My heart. To know Christ is to know the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and the surpassing joy of being conformed to His likeness.
Forget what lies behind. Press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. My life in you is not a flicker to be fanned, but a river to be yielded to. You are complete in Him.
(Scripture references: John 17:3; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Jeremiah 24:7; John 15:5; Philippians 3:10, 14; Colossians 2:10)
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine using a GPS app when traveling. At first, you just trust that it will get you from point A to point B, even if you don't really know how it works. But the more you drive, the more you start to realize its nuances — how it recalculates when you miss a turn, how it finds shortcuts, how it warns you of upcoming traffic. In the same way, early Christian life often begins with simply trusting that Jesus has saved us. But as we continue walking with Him, especially through life's twists and turns, we discover that He isn't just someone who saved us — He is someone intimately navigating every step with us, leading us into deeper trust and fuller relationship. Knowing Him becomes the journey itself, not just the destination.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I rejoice that knowing Christ is not left to my striving or earning, but is the very gift of life You have already given me. I thank You that every moment, every need, every longing draws me into deeper fellowship with Him. I rest in the assurance that Your Spirit is revealing more of Christ to me day by day, not by my might, but by Your gracious, loving work. I press forward today, confident that You who began this good work will continue it, drawing me ever closer to the heartbeat of Your Son.