What Does God Want For Me?

Bible

A valid question that deserves a response.

A question that most everyone has asked at some point in life. You might even Google it and you would see a thousand different opinions. You could post the question to the world of social media and in doing so, might start a controversial conversation reaching every corner in the world. Is this really just an opinion? Something that is relative and obscure, or is there such a thing as absolute truth?

I believe there is, and an honest question like that can only be answered truthfully in a heart that is sincere, and one that will assume these four things:

1.) You believe that God is real;

2. You believe that The Bible is God’s Word and that it reveals truth;

3.) You believe that He is sovereign: that He is King over His creation; and

4.) You believe that He is actively involved with His most prized creation–you!

The Bible is more than a story-telling book about God’s plan through history, it is a book that reveals His character. It shows us who He is and what His plan is for mankind.

And that includes you.

That the God of the universe, creator of heaven and earth and everything in it, would even see us or care about the way we live our life is hard to fathom, but it’s true. He is cares enough to show us who He is, what He wants from us, and maybe even more accurately said, what He wants FOR us.

I think sometimes we forget that God is all-knowing. He created us, and so He knows us better than we know ourselves–yet we often live as though He only cares about the world in general. We think His concern is only about the “big picture”, when in reality, He is God of the details.

Look at flowers and marvel at the myriad of colors or the uniqueness of a snowflake and you will see His beauty and His creativity.

Focus in on the artistry of a bird’s feather or the instinct given to every animal and insect and you will see His focus on the details in the intricacy of His creation.

When we look in the mirror, we might not see beauty and potential, but God does. His eyes look beyond the ordinary clay pot to the valuable resource that He created us to be. A resource for good.

“Yet Lord, You are our Father;
we are the clay, and You are our potter;
we all are the work of Your hands.” Isaiah 64:8

2 and 3 John are letters written to encourage fellow believers with a message for the church. Both letters speak to the value of the church (God’s people), and their responsibility to the truth. Both emphasize the relationship between truth and love:

Following God’s truth testifies of our love for Him.

These two short and simple letters speak to the need of their day and to the need for our world today:

Walk in love. Walk in truth.

We can’t even begin to imagine all of the things that John had seen and heard as he walked and talked with Jesus. So many stories to tell and so many lessons learned. His journey with Jesus was just that–a journey. He didn’t just sit and listen to Jesus teach all day, every day–he also went where Jesus went, followed where He lead, and went where He told him to go. He walked the same dirty streets and watched as He demonstrated what love looked like. Love wrapped up in the truth. Life giving, life changing truth. The Son of God came in human form to demonstrate His love in the flesh, took our place on the cross, and conquered death. His death and resurrection bridged the gap between us and a holy God and gave us the opportunity to know Him–and to know what real truth is, because real love tells the truth.

TRUTH without LOVE is harsh, judgmental; LOVE without TRUTH is shallow, empty.

While many will try to dissect and decide what they want to believe, God’s Word is clear. He gave us The Truth, and He has divinely preserved it for thousands of years–despite man’s attempt to deny it, dissect it and wipe it out. It’s accuracy has continually been proven by history and archeology (and in the lives of believers!} While some may feel the need for the physical evidence, this is much more than a desire for something tangible. Deep inside is a heart that yearns for it’s Creator, and answers only He can give.

So, if you’re asking the question, “What does God want for me?” look to His Word. He wants you to know the truth. Truth is not relative–it’s found in Jesus. Revealed in the pages of the Bible, every page is meant to lead us to the knowledge of God. The goal is not just to merely fill our head with facts about God, but to an active, life-changing relationship with Him. Knowing about Him is just that–knowledge. He wants more than for your head to be filled with facts and dates about history. He wants you to experience Him today. His desire is that our knowledge of Him would develop and deepen our relationship with Him.

Take the time today to stop and think about those two very simple yet complex words and ask yourself another question: “What would the world look like today if I followed those two principles? “

Walk in love. Walk in truth.

Better yet, “What would my life look like If I decided to love like Jesus loved and live out what He says is true?”

“I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4

**3 John 1:4 is the verse I am memorizing for my Scripture Memory Challenge as I blog through the Bible. As I near the completion of this project, I want to encourage you to make it a priority to memorize God’s Word! It has been such a great opportunity for me to stretch myself and God has used it many times to remind me of His truth. You can always search for a post from a certain Book, or start here to see where this journey began: Scripture Memory Challenge–Genesis

As always, I am praying for your faith journey. My desire in writing is that you would come to know the Jesus I know. You can find out what the Bible says about how you can know God’s plan for you here: FAITH