Peter, I haven't sung this song in quite awhile and since it was coming up in my being I thought I had better get the words. I think I came to hymnal.net not only to find the words but your post as well. You write the words that reflect so many of our experiences. Thank you for the ultimate encouragement found in Christ alone.

The Lord Jesus is the reality of all the positive things, without the reality of these things they are just “good feelings” but they fall short of the person. Lord may we not miss Your person, You are the very God. Lord, You are the highest goal!

As a young believer the song's sentiment encouraged me, much along the rash zeal of "Lord, I will lay down my life for You! Even if I must die with You, I will by no means deny You!"

Not too shortly the rooster crows and time and again, experience exposes that often i'd rather MUCH prefer something else.

"Will you lay down your life for Me?" No Lord, I do not want to stay here in traffic with You, I prefer peace! No, I do not like this valley Lord, I want joy! There was a point I thought I should stop singing this because of my shortcomings in even the slightest discomfort.

But this is definitely a song sung in faith, faith in His promise towards us, bound by His own word!

We may be faithless, but God remains faithful. Faithful is our God who calls and also will do it. We could never! At our best we'd boast as if we can do it, and at our worst, we'd shrink back and deny Him... three times. But God could never deny Himself!

It just reminds me of a brother's prayer: Lord we love not because of what You give or do, because You Are. Dearest Lord grant us to know You as the GREAT I AM, be everything to us, be subjective and real to us, give us deeper and inward knowledge of You, we love You because of what YOU ARE.

And in the glory there my great reward.

Thank God! Brethren, I am so glad to find this hymn here today after searching for the first line for over two months. Indeed my goal is God Himself. To God be the Glory! Thank you to operators of hymnal.net. You have made my day. God bless you all.

I love this song!!!!!!!

Our goal is God Himself! Not joy nor peace!

My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace. I really enjoyed that God can be joy and peace, God can be blessing, God can be all these things. BUT - without Christ as the center of all these items, they are just mere things. Praise the Lord that in the church life we are not following something or someone, we are simply following Christ!!!

So to see this vision is to see our Lord as the CENTER and REALITY of everything we enjoyed. We can see justification in Romans, by do we see that God IS justification? That God IS joy? We really need to see Christ as the reality of everything. The Bible is just Christ Himself! And as witnesses of this vision, we must speak forth what we have seen! The vision demands a response!

The highest goal in the world God Himself. Are we content with God alone or our we as His people for ever seeing experances and the Feel good factor? In Him we have everything of any real value. There is a constant drawing to God Himself provided by The Holy Spirit. Martha. said Jesus Mary has chosen the better part, so may we. Glory!