I have a question. Are you pursuing God? I mean really striving after him? That is a question for you whatever your season in life. God’s desire is that we pursue Him and that as a result of that pursuit, we find our joy in Him and Him alone.
I’ve been thinking about the different places in life in which several people I know are. Some are facing a time of uncertainty, wondering how the present circumstance they are in will turn out. Some are in a time of suffering, going through a difficult situation because of physical or relational crisis. Some are in a time of transition, seeking God’s will and preparing for and anticipating the next stage of their life. Some are experiencing a season of blessing, where everything seems to be going great and the future looks bright. Some find themselves in a time of peace, where things seem to be doing just fine and there is nothing particular going on. Still others are experiencing personal revival as God is shaping their heart, convicting of sin, and renewing their passion for the things of God.
In whatever situation we find ourselves, I am more and more convinced that we must be in active pursuit of God and His glory. Every season of our life can either cause us to draw near to Him or to move away from Him. Both our suffering and blessing, our uncertainty and our security, can lead us either toward or away from Christ. God’s desire, in every situation, is that we pursue Him and find our joy and satisfaction in Him. What is true as individuals is also true as a church body. Churches go through different seasons – times of blessing, times of loss, times of transition, times where things seem to be just humming along – and all those seasons are times in which we must be in active pursuit of God.
God promises in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” So I ask again: Are you, are we, actively pursuing Christ? In whatever circumstance you find yourself, God’s desire is for you to earnestly seek Him – and not just to seek, but in that seeking to find Him and be satisfied in Him. God’s desire for your church as a body is to earnestly seek Him and in so doing to Glorify Him and make His Son known. Let us pursue Him!
Blessings,
Todd
“Late have I loved You, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new,
late have I loved You!
You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for You. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which You created. You were with me, but I was not with You. Created things kept me from You; yet if they had not been in You they would have not been at all.
You called, You shouted, and You broke through my deafness.
You flashed, You shone, and You dispelled my blindness.
You breathed your fragrance on me;
I drew in breath and now I pant for You.
I have tasted You, now I hunger and thirst for more.
You touched me, and I burned for your peace.”
(St. Augustine)
Excellent reminder, Todd.
I don’t persue Him like I ought. But I am thankful that He is in full pursuit of me.
Thanks be to God that He leaves the 99 and goes after the one lost lamb.
Thanks.
I can say definitely that He pursued me, for the night I was converted i was not seeking Him. In fact, I did not believe He existed. When God shows up after you have said He does not exist, it causes your whole mental framework to get all bent out of shape, to say the least.
“for the night I was converted I was not seeking Him.”
I can say A-Men to that. That was my experience also.
It is called effectual calling, irresistible grace, CB, a carryout of the purpose of Unconditional Election (since there was no good reason in us or our actions for God to choose us). B.H. Carroll believed that much…as did Boyce, Broadus, Manly, Truett, and others. Why can’t you?