Happy New Year! I know it has been some time since I last posted but I pray that your year is off to a grand start.

What are some goals you’d like to accomplish this year?

This year, my number one goal and desire, as with each year, is to draw closer to God. Trust me, I have other goals but the one that is of most significance is my relationship with God. It’s through this relationship that I’m able to have success in all areas of my life. Here’s how I see it: God is His Word so therefore by reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God and praying and being in constant communion with Him, then am I able to know His ways and gain understanding, wisdom, and guidance through His Holy Spirit.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

Have you ever been in a place where you desired more of God or you needed Him to do something in your life and you went to the extreme to get what you desired? Well, not to the extreme extreme, but maybe you pressed in a little more. You just desired Him more and maybe you found yourself doing something that you hadn’t done before. Maybe you can identify with the psalmist in Psalm 42 as he yearned for God:

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? (verses 1-2).

“As the life of a deer depends upon water, so our lives depend upon God.”
(Life Application Study Bible, p. 888)

I know sometimes it can be hard to get out of bed at 5 a.m. when it seems like I’d only been asleep for a couple of hours. It can become overwhelming when you feel like you don’t have time to actually focus on God and purpose. But I’ve learned that if you want something bad enough, you’ll do whatever you can to obtain it. That’s why this year I’m going to press in more, focus in more, and just do more all to the glory of God. It’s going to take discipline most definitely, but it’ll be worth it.

What goals have you established for this year? Have you implemented a plan for those goals? Have you been seeking the Lord on direction? How bad do you want to see those goals come to pass? What will it take? Will you press in more? Will you believe the Word of God and truly stand on it? Just how bad do you want it? What are you willing to do in order to obtain it?

While writing this, I’m reminded of someone who was in a place of desperation: the woman with the issue of blood.

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. . . But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace and be whole of thy plague. –Mark 5:25-29, 33-34

Desperate people do desperate things! Right? This woman was definitely in a place of desperation. She had spent all of her money trying to get healed of this issue that had tormented her for twelve long years. Can you imagine the agony, the disappointment, the heartbreak she felt after realizing that nothing was working to improve her situation? Not even the doctors had a solution. I can imagine her being fed up and wanting a solution pronto.

This woman was ceremonially unclean and considered an outcast. Just imagine how she felt. But guess what? She heard about this man named Jesus and she had to get to Him. I’m pretty sure she’d heard about the miracles and healings He’d performed for others. That must have given her the idea that she, too, could receive healing. “She was willing to take her chances and do whatever possible to receive healing, irrespective of the consequences” (Jimmy Swaggart; The Woman With The Issue of Blood).

What I love about this woman is that she already had it made up in her mind that all she needed to do was touch Him. That was some faith there! So she made her way through the crowd and touched the hem of His garment. And voilà! She was healed!

If you want anything bad enough, you will press beyond what you see and feel. You will press beyond your perceived limitations. You will be willing to sacrifice. You’d do whatever it takes. This year, don’t allow passivity to cause you to slack. Press forth in the strength that God has given you so that you can accomplish or even rededicate yourself to any goals you have or had. Whatever you do, don’t give up! Press your way through! 

Are you ready to see the manifestation of your 2019 goals?