2 Corinthians 6:15 – 7:1,  For we are the temple of the living God.  As God has said:  “I will live with them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate.  Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you.”  And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty.  Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

As you get started in this New Year I would like to encourage you to set some goals for your spiritual growth too! Just like anything else, if you aren’t exercising it to build it then it isn’t growing. Let’s go beyond just maintaining and let’s stretch ourselves to grow in our walk with Him! He wants to walk with you!  He wants to be a part of everything you do and everything you experience.  Life on earth is not easy, but you don’t have to walk through it alone.  It’s amazing that God is waiting to spend time with us each day and sometimes it takes effort on our part to do it.  We should have such an overwhelming desire to spend time with Him that it is number one on our list of things that we love to do!  You are a child of the King of Kings and He loves you and wants to spend time with you.  He wants to hear what is on your heart.  He wants to help you achieve all He created you to do.  He wants to draw those you love to Him even more than you do.  

I think part of the reason Christians have become complacent in their walk with God is because somehow we don’t really see Him for who He is.  Somehow the level of respect that should be there is lacking.  The only way to get that reverence back is to spend more time with Him.  Spend more time getting to know Him!  Seek Him with all your heart as it says isn Jeremiah 29: 12-13, “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  You have to do your part.  God will not force His way into your life to walk with you.  He wants to be pursued.  He wants to be the love of your life just like you are His.  

How can you pursue Him?  Just like it says in Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”  True success in life will be found in following all that He leads you into.  God has a plan and it is for your good, but once again He will not force it on you, you must choose to follow Him.  

Ask God today what His dreams are for your life.  Ask Him to guide you in all that you do knowing that then truly His best is yet to come!