"Discovering God's Purpose for Your Life"
Beth Moore
Chapter 2 (Part 1) Is That I May Know Him . . .
The next phrase of Philippians 3:10 tells us our one purpose. First, I want you to look at that word, "know." "My determined purpose is that I may know . . . " I want you to carefully reflect on that word because it is just so critical.
It tells us so clearly that this is the purpose--to know.
Isaiah 43:10 says, "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he." Jeremiah 9:24 says, "let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me."
Our determined purpose is to know God.
I can remember being told early on by an editor, "Now, Beth, when you're writing, keep to your subject matter." I'm one of those who would chase every rabbit you can imagine. He said, "Ask yourself in every paragraph, ask yourself on every page, 'Is it true to the one primary thing you are trying to say?'" Now, I not only apply this to my writing, I have started adopting this rule even in speaking.
Take a moment to think about your own book--your life. On the front of your book is a title. And that title should be the same one for every single one of us: Knowing Christ. Then under the title is a line that says, "by," and that's where you would put your name.
You can pick out your own colors for your cover, you can decorate it any way you want, any thought you want. But here is what I want you to get in your head: Your book--your life--is named Knowing Christ, and it is by you.
Every single chapter is focused on that one thing. Now I don't know about you, but I find that my seasons--the chapters in my life--will sometimes last three to four years. And it seems that very often when I'm going through something, when I go through a particular season, it's all about one prevailing thing.
For example, as I write this, the one chapter I'm living in right now is "Knowing Christ in the Whirlwind." I feel like I'm just in a whirlwind. I couldn't tell you if it was negative or positive. I'm just trying to keep the dust of the earth from getting in my eyes!
And the last chapter I was living was "Knowing Christ in the Rubble." I remember going through a season of time of so much change and so much loss that it was like I'd been standing on a nice, spacious piece of concrete and God just came in with a jackhammer and unearthed everything around me except that size 7 right under my feet. Perhaps you know what I'm talking about!
What in the world do you do when He's turning up every bit of ground around you except what you're standing on? Child, you be still and know He is God. You be still, because there is no place for you to step!! Everything seems like an earthquake except where you're standing and that is a "Be still" moment.
What would your chapter right now be called? This is so important for you to get in your mind because this is what it's all about. In every single season of our lives, in every situation, in every circumstance, He is after you knowing Him. This is the most marvelous purpose in the world. And catch this: there is not one season in your life in which you cannot know Him. It does not exist. In every single season there is a fresh opportunity to know Christ. And that's what we're about.
Now you might be thinking, "But, Beth, the first commandment, the priority commandment, is that we should love Him." Let me tell you something--to know Him is to love Him. Or you might say, "But, Beth, we're supposed to serve Him." I promise you, when you know Him, you will love Him, and no one will be able to stop you from serving Him. In fact, don't even talk to me about loving Him and knowing Him if you are staying home and not pouring into the body of Christ and not reaching out to the lost. Why? Because, when you and I have witnessed Him, we will witness Him to others. Nobody has to tell us to do it. It is the most supernatural and natural occurrence we could possibly have in the faith. When we witness Him, we will witness Him to others.
Beth Moore
Chapter 2 (Part 1) Is That I May Know Him . . .
The next phrase of Philippians 3:10 tells us our one purpose. First, I want you to look at that word, "know." "My determined purpose is that I may know . . . " I want you to carefully reflect on that word because it is just so critical.
It tells us so clearly that this is the purpose--to know.
Isaiah 43:10 says, "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he." Jeremiah 9:24 says, "let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me."
Our determined purpose is to know God.
I can remember being told early on by an editor, "Now, Beth, when you're writing, keep to your subject matter." I'm one of those who would chase every rabbit you can imagine. He said, "Ask yourself in every paragraph, ask yourself on every page, 'Is it true to the one primary thing you are trying to say?'" Now, I not only apply this to my writing, I have started adopting this rule even in speaking.
Take a moment to think about your own book--your life. On the front of your book is a title. And that title should be the same one for every single one of us: Knowing Christ. Then under the title is a line that says, "by," and that's where you would put your name.
You can pick out your own colors for your cover, you can decorate it any way you want, any thought you want. But here is what I want you to get in your head: Your book--your life--is named Knowing Christ, and it is by you.
Every single chapter is focused on that one thing. Now I don't know about you, but I find that my seasons--the chapters in my life--will sometimes last three to four years. And it seems that very often when I'm going through something, when I go through a particular season, it's all about one prevailing thing.
For example, as I write this, the one chapter I'm living in right now is "Knowing Christ in the Whirlwind." I feel like I'm just in a whirlwind. I couldn't tell you if it was negative or positive. I'm just trying to keep the dust of the earth from getting in my eyes!
And the last chapter I was living was "Knowing Christ in the Rubble." I remember going through a season of time of so much change and so much loss that it was like I'd been standing on a nice, spacious piece of concrete and God just came in with a jackhammer and unearthed everything around me except that size 7 right under my feet. Perhaps you know what I'm talking about!
What in the world do you do when He's turning up every bit of ground around you except what you're standing on? Child, you be still and know He is God. You be still, because there is no place for you to step!! Everything seems like an earthquake except where you're standing and that is a "Be still" moment.
What would your chapter right now be called? This is so important for you to get in your mind because this is what it's all about. In every single season of our lives, in every situation, in every circumstance, He is after you knowing Him. This is the most marvelous purpose in the world. And catch this: there is not one season in your life in which you cannot know Him. It does not exist. In every single season there is a fresh opportunity to know Christ. And that's what we're about.
Now you might be thinking, "But, Beth, the first commandment, the priority commandment, is that we should love Him." Let me tell you something--to know Him is to love Him. Or you might say, "But, Beth, we're supposed to serve Him." I promise you, when you know Him, you will love Him, and no one will be able to stop you from serving Him. In fact, don't even talk to me about loving Him and knowing Him if you are staying home and not pouring into the body of Christ and not reaching out to the lost. Why? Because, when you and I have witnessed Him, we will witness Him to others. Nobody has to tell us to do it. It is the most supernatural and natural occurrence we could possibly have in the faith. When we witness Him, we will witness Him to others.
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