God's Highest And Best

What Is God’s highest and best for my life?

      A prayer that has been most often repeated in my life has been for God’s highest and best. My deepest desire is to glorify Him with my life. I am always considering His best, and praying that I choose His best for my life.

      The question I get asked most often (and the one that I ask myself most often) is, “What are you doing after SBS?”  I always have a general answer to give. I know the dreams and desires that are in my heart, but what does it look like getting there? I want to be fully equipped and ready for that end goal. I ask myself, “Should I go to Montana to learn Greek and Hebrew? Should I go back to Cambodia? Should I go to college? Should I stay in Colorado and invest in the base here?” There are so many options, and unfortunately they are all GOOD options, which makes the process even more exasperating.  

      I hadn’t realized how consumed I was by these thoughts until I talked to a good friend who was going through a similar thought process. It’s always when you think you are giving advice to someone else that you find you are actually saying what you need to hear.

      Something that was repeated in that conversation was the desire for God’s highest and best in life.  As we talked more I realize we both already had what we were desiring most. God’s highest and best in our lives.

God’s highest and best in life is having a relationship with Jesus. God’s only concern for our lives is that we know Him and make Him known. I can do that as a Walmart greeter or as a sign interpreter in Cambodia. When it comes down to it, no matter what direction I choose to take I can still be living in God’s highest and best in my life. As long as I am living in right relationship with Him. It has always been about choosing Him.

It becomes more clear the direction of the Lord as we live in relationship with Him. But ultimately when we get to heaven I don’t think God is going to ask, “Did you go to Cambodia right after SBS?” or, “Did you go to college?” What He is going to ask is, “Did you choose Me?”

      I have been challenged by this question daily, “Am I choosing You today?” The more I do this, the more peace I have over the future.  

 “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:25-26

A quick update from me:

My time in SBS (School of Biblical studies) has been amazing and incredibly busy. An update has been long over-due. In this past semester we went over the New Testament. To give you an idea on what we do, we go through each book about 5 times. We study the word in great depth. We learn who the book was written to, why the book was written, what style of literature it is, key verses, tackle hard passages, and discover the timeless truths that each book reveals for us today.

      As full and busy as this course has been, I wouldn't trade it for anything. The word of God has become completely alive to me. I feel like I am getting to know God for the first time. The craziest thing I have learned so far in this school is that you can never study the Bible enough. Each time I go to the text I learn something new. That cliché is  indeed true.  The word of God has demanded a response within me. Ignorance has been bliss, but it has also been destructive. I had avoided studying the Bible in great depths because I knew that it would demand a change and response from me. I will say that the word of God has definitely pierced my heart more than once during this process. It has been a painfully great season of my life. But whats more than that, I can say that I have a whole new level of confidence in God and His sovereignty in any and every situation.

      It is incredibly difficult to write in one update letter all the things the Lord has taught me and revealed to me in the New Testament. I could quite possibly write a book about it all. Neither you or I have time for that though. Instead I want to leave you with one timeless truth that has radically shook my world over the past three months.

      Jesus is worthy of our suffering, because He Himself was the Suffering Servant for all mankind.

I want to leave you with that last word of encouragement. No matter what you are going through in this life, this age, He is so worthy. He is so deserving of whatever we might be challenged with in this life. He waits to return so that all His children may come to Him. What an incredible merciful God we serve. This life is so short in comparison to eternity with Him. Continue to press in and abide in Him.

      Pray for me as I carefully consider what comes next for me after SBS. I still have six more months of studying, I will keep you updated a bit more frequently now that I am more familiar with the study method.

How Can I Better Pray for You and Your Family?

      Please email me and let me know how I can pray more specifically for you and your family during this season. The Lord answers prayers and I believe there is power in numbers. Let me partner with you in prayer.

      May He bless you and keep you always!