Page 219 - Radical Love by Linda Robinson

RADICAL LOVE

And then in verse 8:

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing
worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all

things.”

Then in verse 10 (NIV):

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection

and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death,
and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

The Lord was pleading with her because, although many are called, few
are chosen to manifest the fullness of Christ—because of their

unwillingness to give of their hearts completely.

I would like to pause for a moment and consider some of the characters

in the Bible who gave themselves completely to God. It is interesting

to note that, despite the sufferings and trials they endured, their stories
are a source of hope and encouragement to us because, without

exception, their lives glorified God.

The Word of God tells us in Acts 13:22 that King David was a man

after God’s heart who was prepared to do all His will. And yet, it also

tells us that David was cursed by his people (see 2 Samuel 16:5–13)
and rejected by King Saul and some members of his family. Similarly,

Job became the subject of immense criticism from his friends and his
wife, and Joseph was thrown into a pit, pronounced guilty of a crime

he had not committed, and had to spend three years in an Egyptian jail.

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