This last winter break (2016-2017) CSOC read a book called God’s Need and God’s Goal. It is a short but powerful presentation of what God is doing in this universe and how He is doing it in our lives. For an overview of the main thought of the book read here. For a longer review by one of our staff members read here. But the best way to get a taste for what books are like is to flip through them and see what catches your eye. This post is chance to do just that. Below are 20 quotes from God’s Need and God’s Goal. Enjoy!

Today by the Lord’s grace we need to turn our eyes from the earth to heaven to see a need that is immensely greater than man’s need—God’s need….The Bible shows that God’s need is primary, whereas man’s need is secondary. (8)

Although we certainly cannot do anything without God, He cannot be expressed to others without us….When we are weak, His strength can be displayed. When we fail, His victory can be displayed. When we are poor, His riches can be displayed. (10-11)

We need to come, for all things are now ready. There is no need for us to bring anything or to exert any effort, because the Lord has prepared everything for us. We should not only come but also open ourselves to fully enjoy Him….We need to come to the Lord with our sins and with our weaknesses so that we can meet His need to be expressed through us. (11)

Any lack that we may feel speaks of a corresponding need of God. (14)

God’s need is not related to us giving Him something but to Him giving us Himself. He wants to give us Himself. God’s need is not related to us doing something for Him but to Him doing something in us. God’s need is not related to us giving Him something because He is poor. Rather, His need is related to Him being able to give us something because He is rich. God has everything, and He only wants us. God’s only need is related to man and even is man. (15)

How should we respond to God’s need? The proper response is to consecrate ourselves to meet His need. (15)

To consecrate ourselves means that we are dropping a “knife” in order to pick up something much better….We should not hesitate in our consecration. Consecration is for us to obtain God and enjoy all His riches. (16)

Consecration does not mean that we agree to do something for God but that we agree to allow God to do something for us. Consecration means that we cease to work and instead allow God to work. (19)

After consecration God gives us boundless joy….Joy is a manifestation of God’s salvation in our countenance.  (20)

Every change in our spiritual condition depends on meeting God. (34)

Those who are deep in the Lord are the ones who have fallen the most. (43)

God gives us situations that are contrary to our preferences in order to work Himself into us. (45)

Failures enable us to experience more of God….failure is more precious than victory. (49)

God’s riches can be experienced only by those who have been defeated….The older son in Luke 15 apparently had no experience of failure, but he also had no enjoyment of his father’s riches. (50)

Persons who have no “holes” cannot know God’s grace; only those who have been broken can know God’s grace. (52)

God’s greatest desire is that we would experience and enjoy Him, fully tasting of all that He is and has. (54)

The benefit of failure is that we are broken; the advantage of failure is that we enjoy God. We should not look down on the failures in our Christian journey. (56)

God’s unique goal for His chosen ones is to enter into them and to mingle Himself with them….Man’s usefulness and function in relation to God are connected to his capacity to be mingled with God. (57)

God does not want to be God merely in Himself; He wants to enter into man to be God in man. He is God, but He desires to be mingled with man….Although He wants man to be man, He wants man to be man in God. (58)

It is not enough to be fearful of making mistakes or of falling. We also need to be afraid of God being absent in our actions.  (64)

God’s being mingled with us, rather than our standing, overcoming, failing, or falling, is all that matters. (65)

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