"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." ~ Deuteronomy14:2

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Pleasant Stone Devotional Meditation: June 13

"Not that I have already gotten hold, or already have reached perfection, but I am pressing onward in hopes of laying hold, because I have been laid hold on by Christ Jesus" ~ Philippians 3:13, Berkeley
Here is my [Eugenia Price, the author's] favorite translation of this "blue stone" verse. upon it my faith rests easily and through it my understanding opens. I need my understanding opened because I have often confused myself by the things I write. How is this possible? Simply because, as with any other writer concerning the things of God, truth is revealed to us about Christ and when we reread what we have written, we want to hide our faces in shame at not having lived up to what God has shown us.

My understanding of this seemingly out of gear process is opened and my faith lifted in this fine translation by Dr. Vrekuyl of Paul's humble statement. Paul's writing reaches such heights, it often seems to leave the page. And at these times he is always writing about Christ Himself. I am sure Paul had to write the verse above, not to impress us with his humility, but to free himself of any foolish attempt to do more than go on with the On e who had already 'laid hold on" him.

Paul is "pressing onward in hopes of laying hold, because" he has been "laid hold on by Christ Jesus." He has been caught up with. Right there on the road to Damascus, Jesus Christ "laid hold upon" the Christ-hater, Saul of Tarsus. When we are "laid hold upon" by the Son of God, the psychological fact that hate is merely twisted love is proven! Our hates turn to loves, because our hatred is turned to love. We have been "laid hold upon" by the One who Himself is love. We are to forget the past and go on with Jesus. The core of faith is here.

"Brothers, I do not infer that I myself have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching out for what lies before, I push on to the goal for the prize of God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus."

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