Pressing On to Know the Lord

"Leaving the shadows behind, I ascend toward the light—not alone, but with Christ in every step."

Bob Hoekstra invites us into the mindset of Paul, a man who had every reason to boast in spiritual maturity after decades of walking with Christ. Yet Paul humbly confesses, “I do not count myself to have apprehended.” There’s a holy dissatisfaction in Paul’s tone—not despair, but desire. It’s the voice of someone who knows there is always more of Christ to know, more intimacy to be explored, more grace to be drawn into.

This longing fuels a forward motion. Paul doesn’t camp in the ruins or relics of his past. He leaves behind both failures and achievements, knowing that the riches of Christ are found not in what was, but in Who is—and what lies ahead with Him. His eyes are set on “the upward call,” a life lived in pursuit of knowing Christ deeper and more personally.

Hoekstra gently reminds us that this forward movement is not propelled by striving, but by grace. God calls, and grace enables. Grace washes away the haunting shadows of yesterday and supplies the energy to respond to the Spirit's invitation today. The past may whisper, but it doesn’t define. The call is onward. The prize is Christ Himself.

Personalized Journal Entry in the Voice of the Holy Spirit

My beloved,

You are no longer tethered to the weight of what once was. The failures that used to echo so loudly have been silenced by My mercy, and the wounds that lingered are being held within the balm of My love. You are not what you've done, and you are not what was done to you. You are Mine.

I have called you upward, and I never call without providing the grace to respond. Forget what lies behind—not with a careless dismissal, but with the confidence that My redemption is real. Whether it was a triumph or a tragedy, it does not rival the beauty of what I am revealing to you now in Christ.

I am the One drawing you forward. As you gaze upon Me, I am transforming you into My likeness from glory to glory. I place no burden on you to arrive in your own strength. I simply ask that you walk with Me, step by step, moment by moment, leaning not on your own understanding but on My indwelling presence.

Press on, not as one chasing approval, but as one who already has it. Run the race not to gain My love, but because you are loved. Let the prize be the sweet unfolding of My Son’s life within you. For to know Him is eternal life, and to grow in Him is the reward your soul was made for.

—Philippians 3:10, 13–14; James 4:6; 2 Corinthians 3:18; John 17:3

Prayer of Trust

Father, I trust You with the days behind me and the path ahead. I thank You that I am no longer defined by my past but drawn forward by Your Spirit toward the fullness of Christ in me. I respond to Your upward call with confidence—not in my effort, but in Your grace that carries me. Every step is a gift of fellowship, and the greatest prize is simply more of You. Today, I yield to Your leading. Today, I press on—not to earn anything, but to embrace what You’ve already given me in Christ.

Devotional Credit: “Day by Day by Grace” by Bob Hoekstra
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