Reflections
"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
~1 Corinthians 13:12
~1 Corinthians 13:12
Reflections
Hello family and friends! This addition to our website is all about presenting our site visitors with a different type of Bible study. It is still FREE and while it is designed to cause us to search within and study God's word on a more personal level, it is still something that can be completed with a study partner, or even as a group.
We pray that you are blessed by this new addition to Where God Has Me!
Hello family and friends! This addition to our website is all about presenting our site visitors with a different type of Bible study. It is still FREE and while it is designed to cause us to search within and study God's word on a more personal level, it is still something that can be completed with a study partner, or even as a group.
We pray that you are blessed by this new addition to Where God Has Me!
God’s Pursuit of His Children; What an Amazing God!
“But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul, Is the wonder that God loves me.”
~George Beverly Shea
Does God pursue His children? Does this include the least of us, or the greatest of sinners (or as Paul said, the “chief” of sinners---1 Timothy 1:15)?
The answer is simple…absolutely, yes!
No matter how great our sin, or how least we may view ourselves, God created us in His image and as such, He loves us. It is His undying love that drives Him to pursue us--- even when we intentionally turn away from Him, ignore Him, and disobey Him. We see this example throughout the entire Bible, especially where the Children of Israel are concerned. No matter how many times they turned away from God, He sent someone to tell them about His displeasure with them and He allowed them to repent so that they would be restored.
Can you imagine continually pursuing someone, despite their neglectful attitude towards you and their willingness to do the very thing(s) they know displeases and offends you (Remember, Moses told them that God’s commandments were not far from them, Deuteronomy 30:11-14, they had been taught, they knew what God required of them)?
Can you imagine pursuing someone so much so that you leave your home for them, you give up your life for them---and not just walk away from a type of lifestyle (Jesus absolutely did leave His throne for a “little while” in order that He may pursue us—-“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” ~2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV), but literally give up your life for them…translation, go to the gallows (if that even still exists today) or the death chambers (…“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities” ~Isaiah 53:5, KJV)?
Can you imagine continually pursuing someone just to give them your love, your help, your attention; or pursuing them just so that you can shower them with gifts (free of charge), and give them a good life…only to have them continually turn away from you, and for no other reason than something (or someone) else has caught their attention in that moment?
That is exactly what God did for the Children of Israel, and sadly yet thankfully, He continues to do it for us today.
Sure, some people may feel like they can identify (and perhaps to some degree they may), but when you really consider God’s pursuit of His children, His love for His children, His passion for His children---there is no way our love, our passion, or our pursuit of something (or someone) can compare or even come close to that of our Heavenly Father’s; even when it comes to our pursuit of Him.
Our pursuit does not come close to God’s magnanimous acts of compassion, love or His pursuit for us because His acts are out of pure and unconditional love for His creation, and it is because He has a sincere desire that none of us shall perish (2 Peter 3:9). There is nothing we have done, or can do, that is deserving of His love and compassion.
We, on the other hand, pursue Him because He first pursued us (He is standing at the door knocking Revelation 3:20---He’s pursuing us!), or put another way…
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19 (KJV).
Think about it, God pursues us with such great passion, that even though He has already told us how to live in a way that pleases Him, He continues to remind us through revelations of His word (when we read and study the Bible), through His spoken word (when we hear and receive the message through a sermon), through visions and dreams, and/or through His Holy Spirit; even when we refuse to hear from His Spirit, or simply can’t hear Him (sometimes our own will, cries, or the noise from chaos, drowns out our ability to hear from God), God sends an earthly vessel to deliver His message.
While He has already performed the greatest act of love, once and for all (John 3:16, Romans 5:8); He still performs miracles and blessings for us every day to show us His kindness and generosity, His love for us—He, again, even sends a messenger to remind us of His undying love.
Even though Jesus has already liberated us from sin and death (Romans 8:2), He allows us to repent so that we may be liberated again…and again, and again, from sin and death (2 Chronicles 7:14, Acts 3:19, Acts 5:31, 1 John 1:9); to that, Jesus reminds us that in Him and through Him there is life (John 14:6). We are reminded that in Him there is peace, joy, goodness--- all the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)—and in God there is strength, hope, salvation (Psalm 28:8, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 15:13); and even though Jesus has already torn the veil so that we have direct access to the throne of God (Matthew 27:51), when we forget or become so consumed and blinded by stress, life’s circumstances, the threat of the enemy, or the guilt of sin, He so willingly and graciously removes the “veil” from our eyes so that we can see Him clearly (2 Kings 6:15-20)…so that we can get back to our confidence and place in Him.
What an Amazing God!
What it Means to Pursue
When we consider the definition of the word “pursue”, we should look at it in a spiritual sense because on the surface, it can become easy to misunderstand God’s pursuit for His children and see it as something harsh and lacking of emotion.
For example, one definition of the word is to chase after something in order to catch it, overtake it, defeat it, or take it down. Another definition attached to the word “pursue” is to basically try with great measure to achieve or accomplish something.
Now, on the surface we can read these definitions and wonder why on earth would God, being love, do this to His children, especially if He gives us free choice?
Well, admittedly (on the surface) these definitions do seem to lack compassion, love and patience, all of which are attributes of God. So, let’s try to dig a little deeper.
Another definition of the word, “Pursue” is “to follow after, to aim to secure” or “to aim eagerly to secure” (this relates to the Hebrew word for Pursue, which is “Radaph”).
Now you may be thinking that there is still not a lot of emotion here either, but let’s keep digging.
The phrase “follow after” can have various meanings, but in this instance as it relates to God’s pursuit of His children (we emphasize the word ‘children’ because God will also pursue His enemies, just in a different manner---Deuteronomy 32:35), when we refer to the phrase, “follow after”, we look at it in the sense that it means:
“To go or travel in the same direction (or path) behind someone (or something)”, or “to chase or run after someone (or something).”
Where is the love and compassion?
Well let’s for a moment consider this…
A leader of a large company, or (sadly) a pastor of a mega church, may not pursue a “wayward” employee/parishioner, or an employee/parishioner that has taken interest in another company’s employment or discipleship at another church (in fairness, let’s insert here that this can happen even in smaller companies and smaller churches as well); this is likely because there are so many other people there that they just don’t find pursuing one person worth the time and effort, or perhaps they don’t even notice this one person….but God, thankfully, He’s not like man!
If only one of His sheep go astray, He’s willing to pursue and rescue them; regardless to why they strayed, if they accept Him (keep in mind that a part of this acceptance is repentance and a willingness to turn away from the sin, and turn back to the Father—-Acts 3:19), He will graciously and lovingly allow them to come back to Him. That’s love and compassion!
God not only exhibits His willingness to pursue His children throughout the Bible, but He also states it…
“For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.”
Ezekiel 34:11-12 (KJV)
Another awesome truth is that in God’s pursuit for His children, He has no respective persons; it is not predicated on a person’s nationality, or race…
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
John 10:16 (KJV)
It is God’s love and compassion for His creation that compels Him to pursue us.
Does God pursue ALL of His children, or only those that are lost and/or astray?
Before answering that question, consider this:
If the word pursue means to “follow after” or “chase after” (even in the Biblical sense), then it is safe to infer that if God is willing to pursue us, or search and seek us out, it would have to mean that we walked away from Him and are heading in the opposite direction of where He is, or perhaps we are walking contrary to His will—-whether as a whole, or as it relates to the plan He has for our personal life.
Now, that may be a hard pill to swallow for some, but in truth, we do not look for what is not lost, and we do not chase after something we already have.
Jesus affirms this for us…
“But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Matthew 9:12-13 (KJV)
“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
Luke 15:4-7 (KJV)
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Luke 19:10 (KJV)
This is also affirmed through the Biblical testimony of the Apostle Paul’s conversion from Saul to Paul. In the book of Acts, we can see where God will pursue us even when we think we are doing His will…when we are in actuality going contrary to His will. In this instance, Saul believed in God, but He did not believe in the teachings of Jesus, so as a result he persecuted Jesus’ followers…
“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? […]”
Act 9:1-6 (KJV)
In reading the scriptures referenced, we can rejoice because it means that even though we may fall away (for whatever reason), we are still loved by God, and He still desires a relationship with us---what an Amazing God!
Side Note: Some are probably wondering about the statement that we pursue things or people that are lost, or have gone (or are going) astray, and asking “what about when we pursue God, He is not lost?” Well, that is absolutely the truth. God is NOT lost to us. In fact, Jesus tells us that…
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20
This reassures us that He is waiting patiently for us, but in our seeking we do not need to look far; we just need to have a willingness, and an earnest desire for Him to come into our hearts.
That said, when we pursue God we are chasing after His righteousness, His love, His peace…His fruit, in hopes that we will obtain it. When we pursue God, we are trying with great measure to achieve holiness (Note: we are commanded to be holy--- Leviticus 11:44-45---the command indicates that we are not naturally holy, nor are we born holy, so we must pursue it); when we pursue God, we follow the teachings and examples of Jesus Christ, and we eagerly aim or “press” toward Heaven (Philippians 3:14). We have not achieved righteousness, complete holiness, or perfection; we have not reached Heaven. So, we as Christians must pursue God so that we may one day attain these things and receive an eternal home in Heaven.
Getting Back to God’s Pursuit for Us…
God’s love and compassion for us drives Him to pursue His sheep that are lost, not doing what He has called them to do, and/or have wandered away from Him---no matter how brief, no matter how “innocent”, no matter the reason, and no matter how “faultless” we claim to be; to an all faithful and all righteous God, sin is still sin, and turning away from Him (even for a brief moment) means we have walked out of step with Him, we have chosen to cater to the flesh, and/or we have chosen to eat from another pasture (taking another god over Him and accepting a false doctrine over God’s true word)--- ultimately, we walked away from our relationship with Him, regardless if it was for a minute, an hour, a day, a year, or multiple years.
Now in case you are thinking, what does that mean for the saints that are faithful, have not “straddled the fence” (as the saying goes), and at all costs live peaceable with everyone; the saints that, with every effort, always serve God, walk according to His will, and are always ready to go when He says go and speak when He says speak?
Well, the Lord rejoices and rewards them in return!
“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV)
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9 (ESV)
“[…] for those who honor Me I will honor”
1 Samuel 2:30 (KJV)
That said, keep in mind that none of us are perfect; we pursue righteousness and holiness in our daily walk. In fact, the Bible tells us that…
“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Ecclesiastes 7:20 (KJV)
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
1 John 1:8-10 (KJV)
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
So, while someone may be without sin this second, this minute, today, or tomorrow, that does not mean that they will never fall short (or have never fallen short); which is why we are thankful that God never stops pursuing His sheep, a.k.a. His children!
Bringing it to a Close
Earlier we said that to “pursue” may also mean “to aim to secure” or “to eagerly aim to secure”.
To say God aims to secure us, means that He aims to “attach” us firmly to Him so that we cannot be moved or lost, and He does this with a great passion.
Not only did He send His only Son that we may ALL be saved, but when Jesus ascended to take His place next to The Father, He sent His Holy Spirit to us to be our Comforter, Guide, Strength, and Intercessor!
We should not think that God pursues us because He desires to attack us, or to take us down; to the contrary, His word reassures us that His plans are to prosper us:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.””
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).
In addition to that, God desires that we all should be saved:
“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”
Ezekiel 18:32 (ESV)
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
1 Timothy 2:3-6 (KJV)
God knows that in Him there is strength and peace…
“The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.:”
Psalm 29:11 (KJV)
Salvation…
“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”
Isaiah 45:22 (ESV)
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people”
Titus 2:11 (ESV)
Joy and pleasure…
“[…] in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
Psalm 16:11 (KJV)
abundant and eternal life…
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10 (KJV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
John 3:16 (KJV)
“[…] but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
Perhaps God pursues us because He wants us to be so attached to Him, so engulfed in Him that nothing can turn us away from Him, nothing can separate us from Him…
“neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature […]”
Romans 8:38-39.
We serve an Amazing God!
“But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul, Is the wonder that God loves me.”
~George Beverly Shea
Does God pursue His children? Does this include the least of us, or the greatest of sinners (or as Paul said, the “chief” of sinners---1 Timothy 1:15)?
The answer is simple…absolutely, yes!
No matter how great our sin, or how least we may view ourselves, God created us in His image and as such, He loves us. It is His undying love that drives Him to pursue us--- even when we intentionally turn away from Him, ignore Him, and disobey Him. We see this example throughout the entire Bible, especially where the Children of Israel are concerned. No matter how many times they turned away from God, He sent someone to tell them about His displeasure with them and He allowed them to repent so that they would be restored.
Can you imagine continually pursuing someone, despite their neglectful attitude towards you and their willingness to do the very thing(s) they know displeases and offends you (Remember, Moses told them that God’s commandments were not far from them, Deuteronomy 30:11-14, they had been taught, they knew what God required of them)?
Can you imagine pursuing someone so much so that you leave your home for them, you give up your life for them---and not just walk away from a type of lifestyle (Jesus absolutely did leave His throne for a “little while” in order that He may pursue us—-“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” ~2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV), but literally give up your life for them…translation, go to the gallows (if that even still exists today) or the death chambers (…“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities” ~Isaiah 53:5, KJV)?
Can you imagine continually pursuing someone just to give them your love, your help, your attention; or pursuing them just so that you can shower them with gifts (free of charge), and give them a good life…only to have them continually turn away from you, and for no other reason than something (or someone) else has caught their attention in that moment?
That is exactly what God did for the Children of Israel, and sadly yet thankfully, He continues to do it for us today.
Sure, some people may feel like they can identify (and perhaps to some degree they may), but when you really consider God’s pursuit of His children, His love for His children, His passion for His children---there is no way our love, our passion, or our pursuit of something (or someone) can compare or even come close to that of our Heavenly Father’s; even when it comes to our pursuit of Him.
Our pursuit does not come close to God’s magnanimous acts of compassion, love or His pursuit for us because His acts are out of pure and unconditional love for His creation, and it is because He has a sincere desire that none of us shall perish (2 Peter 3:9). There is nothing we have done, or can do, that is deserving of His love and compassion.
We, on the other hand, pursue Him because He first pursued us (He is standing at the door knocking Revelation 3:20---He’s pursuing us!), or put another way…
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19 (KJV).
Think about it, God pursues us with such great passion, that even though He has already told us how to live in a way that pleases Him, He continues to remind us through revelations of His word (when we read and study the Bible), through His spoken word (when we hear and receive the message through a sermon), through visions and dreams, and/or through His Holy Spirit; even when we refuse to hear from His Spirit, or simply can’t hear Him (sometimes our own will, cries, or the noise from chaos, drowns out our ability to hear from God), God sends an earthly vessel to deliver His message.
While He has already performed the greatest act of love, once and for all (John 3:16, Romans 5:8); He still performs miracles and blessings for us every day to show us His kindness and generosity, His love for us—He, again, even sends a messenger to remind us of His undying love.
Even though Jesus has already liberated us from sin and death (Romans 8:2), He allows us to repent so that we may be liberated again…and again, and again, from sin and death (2 Chronicles 7:14, Acts 3:19, Acts 5:31, 1 John 1:9); to that, Jesus reminds us that in Him and through Him there is life (John 14:6). We are reminded that in Him there is peace, joy, goodness--- all the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)—and in God there is strength, hope, salvation (Psalm 28:8, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 15:13); and even though Jesus has already torn the veil so that we have direct access to the throne of God (Matthew 27:51), when we forget or become so consumed and blinded by stress, life’s circumstances, the threat of the enemy, or the guilt of sin, He so willingly and graciously removes the “veil” from our eyes so that we can see Him clearly (2 Kings 6:15-20)…so that we can get back to our confidence and place in Him.
What an Amazing God!
What it Means to Pursue
When we consider the definition of the word “pursue”, we should look at it in a spiritual sense because on the surface, it can become easy to misunderstand God’s pursuit for His children and see it as something harsh and lacking of emotion.
For example, one definition of the word is to chase after something in order to catch it, overtake it, defeat it, or take it down. Another definition attached to the word “pursue” is to basically try with great measure to achieve or accomplish something.
Now, on the surface we can read these definitions and wonder why on earth would God, being love, do this to His children, especially if He gives us free choice?
Well, admittedly (on the surface) these definitions do seem to lack compassion, love and patience, all of which are attributes of God. So, let’s try to dig a little deeper.
Another definition of the word, “Pursue” is “to follow after, to aim to secure” or “to aim eagerly to secure” (this relates to the Hebrew word for Pursue, which is “Radaph”).
Now you may be thinking that there is still not a lot of emotion here either, but let’s keep digging.
The phrase “follow after” can have various meanings, but in this instance as it relates to God’s pursuit of His children (we emphasize the word ‘children’ because God will also pursue His enemies, just in a different manner---Deuteronomy 32:35), when we refer to the phrase, “follow after”, we look at it in the sense that it means:
“To go or travel in the same direction (or path) behind someone (or something)”, or “to chase or run after someone (or something).”
Where is the love and compassion?
Well let’s for a moment consider this…
A leader of a large company, or (sadly) a pastor of a mega church, may not pursue a “wayward” employee/parishioner, or an employee/parishioner that has taken interest in another company’s employment or discipleship at another church (in fairness, let’s insert here that this can happen even in smaller companies and smaller churches as well); this is likely because there are so many other people there that they just don’t find pursuing one person worth the time and effort, or perhaps they don’t even notice this one person….but God, thankfully, He’s not like man!
If only one of His sheep go astray, He’s willing to pursue and rescue them; regardless to why they strayed, if they accept Him (keep in mind that a part of this acceptance is repentance and a willingness to turn away from the sin, and turn back to the Father—-Acts 3:19), He will graciously and lovingly allow them to come back to Him. That’s love and compassion!
God not only exhibits His willingness to pursue His children throughout the Bible, but He also states it…
“For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.”
Ezekiel 34:11-12 (KJV)
Another awesome truth is that in God’s pursuit for His children, He has no respective persons; it is not predicated on a person’s nationality, or race…
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
John 10:16 (KJV)
It is God’s love and compassion for His creation that compels Him to pursue us.
Does God pursue ALL of His children, or only those that are lost and/or astray?
Before answering that question, consider this:
If the word pursue means to “follow after” or “chase after” (even in the Biblical sense), then it is safe to infer that if God is willing to pursue us, or search and seek us out, it would have to mean that we walked away from Him and are heading in the opposite direction of where He is, or perhaps we are walking contrary to His will—-whether as a whole, or as it relates to the plan He has for our personal life.
Now, that may be a hard pill to swallow for some, but in truth, we do not look for what is not lost, and we do not chase after something we already have.
Jesus affirms this for us…
“But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Matthew 9:12-13 (KJV)
“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
Luke 15:4-7 (KJV)
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Luke 19:10 (KJV)
This is also affirmed through the Biblical testimony of the Apostle Paul’s conversion from Saul to Paul. In the book of Acts, we can see where God will pursue us even when we think we are doing His will…when we are in actuality going contrary to His will. In this instance, Saul believed in God, but He did not believe in the teachings of Jesus, so as a result he persecuted Jesus’ followers…
“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? […]”
Act 9:1-6 (KJV)
In reading the scriptures referenced, we can rejoice because it means that even though we may fall away (for whatever reason), we are still loved by God, and He still desires a relationship with us---what an Amazing God!
Side Note: Some are probably wondering about the statement that we pursue things or people that are lost, or have gone (or are going) astray, and asking “what about when we pursue God, He is not lost?” Well, that is absolutely the truth. God is NOT lost to us. In fact, Jesus tells us that…
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20
This reassures us that He is waiting patiently for us, but in our seeking we do not need to look far; we just need to have a willingness, and an earnest desire for Him to come into our hearts.
That said, when we pursue God we are chasing after His righteousness, His love, His peace…His fruit, in hopes that we will obtain it. When we pursue God, we are trying with great measure to achieve holiness (Note: we are commanded to be holy--- Leviticus 11:44-45---the command indicates that we are not naturally holy, nor are we born holy, so we must pursue it); when we pursue God, we follow the teachings and examples of Jesus Christ, and we eagerly aim or “press” toward Heaven (Philippians 3:14). We have not achieved righteousness, complete holiness, or perfection; we have not reached Heaven. So, we as Christians must pursue God so that we may one day attain these things and receive an eternal home in Heaven.
Getting Back to God’s Pursuit for Us…
God’s love and compassion for us drives Him to pursue His sheep that are lost, not doing what He has called them to do, and/or have wandered away from Him---no matter how brief, no matter how “innocent”, no matter the reason, and no matter how “faultless” we claim to be; to an all faithful and all righteous God, sin is still sin, and turning away from Him (even for a brief moment) means we have walked out of step with Him, we have chosen to cater to the flesh, and/or we have chosen to eat from another pasture (taking another god over Him and accepting a false doctrine over God’s true word)--- ultimately, we walked away from our relationship with Him, regardless if it was for a minute, an hour, a day, a year, or multiple years.
Now in case you are thinking, what does that mean for the saints that are faithful, have not “straddled the fence” (as the saying goes), and at all costs live peaceable with everyone; the saints that, with every effort, always serve God, walk according to His will, and are always ready to go when He says go and speak when He says speak?
Well, the Lord rejoices and rewards them in return!
“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV)
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9 (ESV)
“[…] for those who honor Me I will honor”
1 Samuel 2:30 (KJV)
That said, keep in mind that none of us are perfect; we pursue righteousness and holiness in our daily walk. In fact, the Bible tells us that…
“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Ecclesiastes 7:20 (KJV)
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
1 John 1:8-10 (KJV)
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
So, while someone may be without sin this second, this minute, today, or tomorrow, that does not mean that they will never fall short (or have never fallen short); which is why we are thankful that God never stops pursuing His sheep, a.k.a. His children!
Bringing it to a Close
Earlier we said that to “pursue” may also mean “to aim to secure” or “to eagerly aim to secure”.
To say God aims to secure us, means that He aims to “attach” us firmly to Him so that we cannot be moved or lost, and He does this with a great passion.
Not only did He send His only Son that we may ALL be saved, but when Jesus ascended to take His place next to The Father, He sent His Holy Spirit to us to be our Comforter, Guide, Strength, and Intercessor!
We should not think that God pursues us because He desires to attack us, or to take us down; to the contrary, His word reassures us that His plans are to prosper us:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.””
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).
In addition to that, God desires that we all should be saved:
“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”
Ezekiel 18:32 (ESV)
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
1 Timothy 2:3-6 (KJV)
God knows that in Him there is strength and peace…
“The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.:”
Psalm 29:11 (KJV)
Salvation…
“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”
Isaiah 45:22 (ESV)
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people”
Titus 2:11 (ESV)
Joy and pleasure…
“[…] in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
Psalm 16:11 (KJV)
abundant and eternal life…
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10 (KJV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
John 3:16 (KJV)
“[…] but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
Perhaps God pursues us because He wants us to be so attached to Him, so engulfed in Him that nothing can turn us away from Him, nothing can separate us from Him…
“neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature […]”
Romans 8:38-39.
We serve an Amazing God!
