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Signposts: Daily Devotions

Written by Jim Palmer

Tuesday, November 30

For my determined purpose is that I may know Him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly.
—Philippians 11:41-42

NIV

In Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote,

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

There's something about these words that stopped me, "live your way into the answer."

  • Maybe God is Love.
  • Maybe the kingdom of God is within us.
  • Maybe the truth sets us free.
  • Maybe we are not separated from God.
  • Maybe our life and identity is Christ.
  • Maybe there's more to it than we think.
  • Maybe it's much better than we ever dreamed.
  • Maybe eternal life starts now.
  • Maybe we are unconditionally accepted by God.
  • Maybe we haven’t yet become who we really are.
  • Maybe in the end there is only love.
  • People are waiting for God to do something, maybe God is waiting for us to do it.
  • Maybe the detours are the most important leg of the journey.
  • Maybe God wants to bring hope and healing into the world through nobodies like us.
  • Maybe Jesus’ message could truly change the world and is good news for all.
  • Maybe there is no “God and” but only God working through everything and everyone drawing us in close to him.
  • Maybe God isn’t up there out there somewhere but is inside us.
  • Maybe God is whispering in the wind, “I AM what you’re looking for.”

But maybe we will never truly know until we live our way into the answer.

God, I want to fulfill my determined purpose to know you.

These Signposts originally appeared on explorefaith in 2006.