My One Determined Purpose

Once upon a time, my one determined purpose was to be the best daughter, mom, wife, Bible teacher/leader, employee, and friend. I would like to say that my best was accomplished, but I fell short in many ways. Now, I’m in the season of desiring to know my Lord like the Apostle Paul expressed:

“For my determined purpose is that I may . . . progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly” (Philippians 3:10 AMP)

YES! That is my desire — to get more acquainted with my Lord – getting to know Him more each day. Paul became “deeply and intimately acquainted” with God because he had a relationship with Him and took the time to get to know Him.

Here I go again – putting words into song. Remember Julie Andrews singing in the musical, “The King and I”: “Getting to know you; getting to know all about you!” That is my utmost desire – getting “deeply and intimately acquainted” with God. And we can’t do that by accident. Paul says it’s a “determined purpose.” It’s something we MUST do something about. We MUST invest our time in it.

I’ll be honest with you. I can tell when I haven’t been in God’s Word like I should. Stress and concerns begin to cloud my mind and instead of meditating on Scripture, I begin meditating on the “what ifs” of life. The focus of my life begins to shift from God to me.

And as my gaze turns away from God, so does my confidence, my courage, and my heart. Committing to the habit of being in Scripture daily is a game changer for me. Being in God’s Word brings me back to what really matters in life and Who really is in control… and it’s not me.

My personal prayer for the upcoming Fall Season is that I will take in what Psalm 119 describes by the Psalmist. I want to love, treasure, and meditate on these words found in Psalm 119:10-16:
I seek…
I hide…
I praise…
I recount…
I rejoice…
I meditate…
I delight…
Bottom line, Paul made time to be in God’s Word. It was a choice he made every day. To get Paul’s results, we MUST make time for God in our busy lives.

For some, it may mean getting up a little earlier, or staying up a little later, but whatever it is, we really do need to be in Scripture. There are more days than I’d like to admit when I find myself spending time writing blogs that seek praise rather than God’s praise. Change my heart, oh Lord! I need YOUR praise because my delights should be mostly focused on YOU!

Investing our time in God’s Word has the greatest rate of returns: a life that grows in holiness when Scripture is not just read, but lived!

Dear Lord, Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for speaking to us through it. Help us to thirst for it, to seek it, hide it, meditate on it and delight in it. Grow our love for your Word and the hidden treasures in it. Please grow our desire for You and Your Word. Amen!