My goal is God Himself

I appreciate the two followings that occur in the book of Matthew.

Matthew 10:38-39 says that we must follow the Lord by taking up our cross and losing our soul life. This is to take God's will as our own by putting ourselves aside.

Matthew 14:13 says that the people followed the Lord on foot from the cities as He traveled to a deserted place by way of a boat. This shows that after the Lord's rejection by three parties (Jews, Galilean's, and the Gentiles) He would remove Himself to a deserted place away from the spheres of culture through the church. These true followers of Christ followed Him there by also leaving the cultured world.

My goal is Christ himself, not joy not peace.

Amen!

He gave me this song in the spring of 2016. I was looking for something else and ran across this title

He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark.

Great song!

I learned this hymn as a new Christian 40 years ago. Today I read it with tears knowing it is utterly true and I rejoice in what he is doing in me to draw me to Himself. Thank You Father!

"During the initial stage of a believer's spiritual life, God allows him to enjoy His joy. However, God withdraws the sensation of joy as the believer advances in life because this is profitable to him. He knows that if the believer continues to seek and enjoy this kind of joy for a considerable length of time, he will not live by every word that proceeds out of God's mouth. Rather, he will live by the words which make him happy. He lives in the comfort of God and not in the God of comfort. Therefore, God must withdraw all the joyous sensations so that he will live wholly by Him." ~ Watchman Nee, The Spiritual Man.

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.

O Lord
My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace
O Lord do this in me!