"MY GOAL"
By Frederick Brook

My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace;
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.
'Tis His to lead me there, not mine but His...
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

So faith bounds forward to its goal in God,
And love can trust her Lord to lead her there.
Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard,
Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.

No matter if the way be sometimes dark,
No matter though the cost be oft-times great,
He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark,
The way that leads to Him must needs be straight.

One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay;
One thing I do, I press on towards my Lord.
My God, my Glory here from day to day,
And in the glory there, my Great Reward.

"HIGHER GROUND"
Words: Johnson Oatman, Jr. (1898)
Music: Charles H. Gabriel (1898)

I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith on Canaan's tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan's darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray till rest I've found,
"Lord, lead me on to higher ground."

"NO KING BUT JESUS!"

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them! And thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by thy name O Lord God of hosts!"
(Jeremiah 15:16)

Speaking about God's Word, Oswald Chambers said, "We have to devour this old book from cover to cover."

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee."
(Psalms 119:11)

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105)

"Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation." (Psalms 91:14-16)

"Then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall you return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." (Malachi 3:16-18)

May we continually seek to walk in His ways and keep His commandments all the days of our lives, and allow Him to write His laws upon our minds and upon on our hearts as He promised. If we do, we will, as He also promised, be His people and He will be our God. How wonderful!

A Worthy Endeavour!

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own."
(Philippians 3:12)

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phillippians 3:13-14)

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

May each and every one of us, who would dare to be called by His Name, determine once and for all to take up our crosses and completely die to ourselves and allow God to direct our lives "whithersoever He" chooses. In other words, to finally say to Him, and mean it, "not my will but thine be done!"

"Come, let us return unto the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
He will revive us after two days;
He will raise us up on the thrid day
That we may live before Him.
So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.
His going forth is as certain as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the rain,
Like the spring rain watering the earth." (Hosea 6:1-3)

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called..." (1st Timothy 6:12)

Let us all determine in our hearts this day that we are going to serve the Lord our God now and forever more, no matter what it costs us! Amen?

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:11-14)