What is Your Goal?

Pressing toward the goal. That’s the title of this week’s Create in Me a Clean Heart Devotion by Amy Verlennich [download your free copy here]. I had attended a group Bible study just yesterday where we are going through an intense, 10-lesson teaching from First Fruits of Zion called HaYesod. It talked about Torah points us to the end goal – Messiah. So this devotion today was very timely.

What is your goal? Is it to have a perfectly clean house? What about a perfectly clean heart? Neither are truly attainable, this side of glory! But do we give up and say “what’s the point?” There surely are days where that is exactly what we feel like doing. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians:

It is not that I have already obtained it or already reached the goal — no, I keep pursuing it in the hope of taking hold of that for which the Messiah Yeshua took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers, I, for my part, do not think of myself as having yet gotten hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s upward calling in the Messiah Yeshua. Philippians 3:12-14

…but, we don’t give up. We keep pursuing perfection, knowing that in this fallen world we can never be perfect, but that is still the aim. Because our Messiah is perfect, and we are to be imitators of him. And when we miss the mark [Hebrew chata, sin], we can take comfort in knowing the Father’s mercy and grace, through the sacrifice of Yeshua, affords forgiveness.

The Devotional today encourages us to examine our goals. Are we as passionate about pursuing Messiah Yeshua as we are about decluttering? Is raising our children to be followers and imitators of Yeshua as important as raising them to put things away? What are we putting first?

September 22, 2014

Father, I love how when I am on the right track you provide confirming signs! We just studied yesterday about how Torah is not just a bunch of rules and regulations to follow. The word Torah comes from the Hebrew root yara, which means “to throw” or “to cast” with a strong sense of control by the subject. An apt analogy would be an archer shooting an arrow. Torah is the target, Torah points to Messiah Yeshua – the Living Torah (John 1:14), and within Torah are instructions concerning every aspect of life. We aim to walk in accordance with your Torah, when we miss the mark, that is sin.

You spoke very clearly to me about being orderly! I still believe it is very important, and have been working hard at being so. I’ve been doing pretty well, especially compared to how disorderly I had been my whole life. Thank you for that, I know that without your strength, guidance and encouragement I would not have been able to do what you have required of me.

Today I sense you asking me to step up higher, to build upon the orderliness you have worked into me. Honestly, I question somewhat my ability. Sometimes it seems like I can only do one thing at a time…like be orderly or focus on wanting Yeshua and being complete in him. But, if the foundation (in this case, order) is strong, what is built upon it will stand. Thank you for giving me a ruler to measure by…is [what I feel needs done right now] helping to move me, and my family, toward the mark? Am I as passionate about you, Yeshua, walking in Torah as I am [the task at hand]?

What are YOUR goals? Are they the Father’s goals for your life? Are you as passionate about your relationship with YHWH and Yeshua as you are these goals? 

Clean Heart Journal Posts:

Week One * Week Two * Week Three * Week Four * Week Five * Week Six * Week Seven * Week Eight * Week Nine * Week Ten * Week Eleven * Week Twelve