God's Pursuit

"Although the LORD sent prophets to the people

to bring them back to him,

and though they testified against them,

they would not listen."

2 Chronicles 24:19

They walked in the cool of the day through the beautiful garden, enjoying the company of their Creator.  Dew drops shimmered in the early morning light, transforming their home into a magical land.  The first man and woman basked in the glow of the attentions of their Father, relating to Him openly and without fear.  Their hearts were fully exposed to Him; nothing could be better.

Then came the sin, the disobedience, the turning away.  Suddenly, fear entered in, ruining the fellowship they once knew with God.  Instead of running toward Him with the eagerness of a child greeting his father, they cowered in the shadows, dreading His attentions.  Still, despite their transgression, the Creator sought them out, going after His wayward ones (Genesis 3).

From the beginning, the Lord has been a God of pursuit.  He didn't leave Adam and Eve where they were, trembling in shame and fear, and He doesn't wash His hands clean of me, either.  He patiently and relentlessly goes after me in more ways than I know.

Salvation.  There was a multitude bleating on the hillside, crowding together in a tight group, drawing comfort from each others' presence.  The shepherd circled around his herd, carefully taking stock of his charges.  He sensed that something was wrong; one was missing.  Without hesitation, he leaves the 99 and searches for the one who is lost (Matthew 18:12-14).

This is the heart of God.  He does not desire that any are lost and He goes to whatever lengths are necessary to draw His own into relationship with Himself (2 Peter 3:9, John 6:44).  In fact the perfect evidence of this love is Jesus.  God's love drove Him to send His only Son as a sacrifice so that I could taste freedom from eternal punishment (Romans 5:8).  

Jesus didn't surrender His divinity and enter into His creation as a lowly man to find me guilty, to root out my shortfalls and to point to my sin.  Instead, Jesus came to save me from the wrath of God (John 3:16-17).  My sin earned condemnation, but Jesus came to give me what I don't deserve: redemption, the hope of life eternal and reconciliation in the here and now with the One who makes my life complete.

God's relentless pursuit is evident in His plan for my salvation.

Sanctification.  The refiner carefully holds his treasure to the hottest part of the fire.  Knowing it takes intense heat to purify the silver, he is not hesitant to place it in the blazing-hot furnace.  Knowing also that too much exposure could injure his charge, he carefully watches, never taking his eyes off this precious metal.  He knows when the refining process is finished when the gleaming silver reflects his own image.

God sits as such a refiner of silver (Malachi 3:3).  He is not hesitant to allow trouble, heartache and trial to enter my life, knowing that such heat is necessary to burn out all the impurities found in my heart.  As I endure such agony, I must remember that His hand never leaves me.  He watches carefully so that I will not be burned (Isaiah 43:2).  His goal is not my suffering but transformation.  It is His desire that I be conformed into the image of Christ and only He knows what kind of tests are necessary to reach that end (Romans 8:28-29).

God's relentless pursuit is evident in the life-long sanctification process (Philippians 1:6).

Intimacy.  I'm not naturally inclined to intimacy.  Instead, I tend to put up walls of protection, guarding against any rejection of my true self, the pain of pointing fingers, and my fear of abandonment.  Even though God loves me perfectly and accepts me right where I am, it takes time and patience to get me to trust Him enough to let Him in.

Thankfully, God has the kind of patience that is necessary to woo me into a closeness with Him.  Despite the fact that He won't hurt me in the way I've grown accustomed to, it takes time for me to realize this truth.  As I grow in my relationship with Him, I start to trust Him, giving me the confidence to remove the masks I tend to wear.  Soon I find that I can depend on Him more and more and pose less and less.  Before I know it, I'm letting Him look fully upon my sinful heart so He can lovingly examine it for offense (Psalm 139:23-24).

God's relentless pursuit is evident in His patient quest for intimacy with me (Revelation 3:20).

It's sometimes hard to picture God as the One who goes after me, but His great love doesn't allow forfeiture.  Instead, He eagerly desires me and has gone to great lengths to win me over.  He offered the ultimate sacrifice to secure my salvation, carefully takes me through the refiner's fire to sanctify me, and waits as long as it takes for me to feel comfortable in trusting Him.  In these ways He reveals His relentless pursuit of me.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can appreciate the heart of a God who would go after me so persistently.

When do I put off His advances?

How am I hesitant to trust Him fully?