Dear Jesus, take this one verse and drive and “delight” them deep into our hearts. For truly, it is the source and fountain of what it means to be alive, yours, and relationally healthy. Philippians 2:1 “If you have any… encouragement from your union with Christ … ”
Jesus, there is no greater need or privilege than being united with you, for it means our lives are hidden in yours, and you live by the Spirit in us. Legally it means all our sins are forgiven, our Judgment Day was your cross, and your righteousness has been declared to be ours. Hallelujah! But it also means Abba is now our Father, and we’ve been all the rights and inheritance of God’s firstborn children. Stunning, measureless, overwhelming, and true—make it all real, blessed Savior.
“If you have any comfort from Jesus’ love; any fellowship with the Spirit, tenderness, and compassion” … Make it real indeed, Jesus, for our actual union with you is to become life-giving communion with you. We are to know, love, and follow you everywhere in life. The legal rights we’ve been given in the Gospel are to become personal delights as the Holy Spirit deepens our fellowship with you, and he takes us deeper into your tenderness and compassion.
So what comfort does your love give us? It comforts us by its quality, depth, and constancy. Nobody loves us like you do, Jesus, period. You love us as much as our Father loves you and as much as you love him—Hallelujah! This is breathtaking, knee-bucking, lifegiving, and it is 100% true. We believe, continue to free us from under-believing it, Jesus.
You comfort us in our grief, fears, and waiting. You comfort us in our loses, crosses, and crucibles. You comfort us when we “get it,” and when we “blow it”—to name just a few ways your love comforts us. Through our union and communion with you, Jesus, we learn to love others as you love us (Philippians 2:2-11). Make it so, Jesus, more so than ever. So Very Amen.