Wow, what can I say? I'm reading about how God Pursues us. I've been literally mulling this chapter over, over, and over for the past week. Re-reading the chapter and re-reading the verses, which is why there is a lag between posts...I haven't forgotten you my friends. Here we go:
We pursue what we love, whether that's learning how to get better at some hobby like gardening or buying parenting books so we can be the best parents that we can be. We are always doing something; hiking, fishing, crocheting, growing a better lawn, etc. We see it everyday in different people and in ourselves. We are always pursuing the things of this world and as we pursue other "things" or "hobbies", God all the while is and has been pursuing us.
I don't think I totally grasp this particular concept, but I'm starting to understand. My oldest son is 20 years old and a few weeks ago he was faced with a major hurdle in his life, in which all I wanted to do was travel about 1200 miles away to where he was and help him out. However, he's a young man who has to forge his way in this life, whether I want him to forge down a path I would like him to go, versus his decision of a different path. No matter, in this regard, I have to totally rely on God to guide his path for him and I need to encourage and disengage as a mother who wants to help correct and engage in a mother who is encouraging, loving, and always pursuing him. He knows how much I love and care for him, by not giving up on him...EVER! That's what God was showing me. As I longed to reach out and pursue my son in his struggle, I couldn't. 1. He was physically to far away. and 2. My son has to choose to reach out to me. We have to CHOOSE to reach out to God. He isn't that far, it's us, who choose to value other things over Him, which takes us from Him.
I had to take a long hard look at myself...What am I doing that is of more value than God? Now, you can sit back and say, "I would never put anything before God." but I say nay to you, my friends. (In my Sheldon voice) We are human, and as long as we are in these fallible vessels and have our fallible minds, we will choose other things over God. The difference between a professing believer who lives their life for God and those that don't is this...we have the Holy Spirit, our helper, our counselor, our guiding light, to help remind us gently that we're not in the right place, or that what we are messing with "stinking thinking".What God showed me was interesting. I put t.v. before Him, Facebook gets put before Him, the family and all that goes into the family gets put before Him, my job is put before Him, and all the things I think about are put before Him!...SOBERING, all the things I THINK about! That was interesting to say the least. Yes, the things I think about, are not always pure, their not sexual mind you, but if there is something which happens I tend to dwell on it and mull it over. The more I mull it over the more it weaves into the fiber of my life.This isn't necessarily what I'm going through right now, but just a few short weeks ago, I was praying and God showed me that I need to make a choice before adding more "things" into my life. I prayed for His help on waking up earlier than usual to read the word. And he's been faithful to do that, as I've been OBEDIENT to get up and spend time in His word. I've cut Facebook back to almost nothing. He didn't say give it up, he said what am I putting first before Him. He is first in my day and throughout my day, and when I notice that I'm mulling over something that is starting to turn my insides, I pray and I send out a text to my husband to pray specifically for peace over what's on my mind.... EXHILARATING!! This has been such a freeing experience for me. How many more believers are going through the same thing? I wish I can say I'm the only heathenistic (sorry for the bushism) saint out there, but I know many more are struggling.
God is always in pursuit of us. He paid a ransom for us. Just like we pursue what we love, God our Father, our ABBA, pursues us. (John 3:16, Psa 49:8, Eph 1:7 1 Cor 6:20) God pursues what He loves, and that is US. But why would He love me, little ole me? Because He created us to want to choose Him. To have a relationship with us. He is "calling us out of the darkness into His wonderful light." When you can wrap a synapses around that then the freedom that comes with knowing, I can grab my "woobie" and crawl into his lap, is so comforting and reassuring...I'm not saying, I'm a little child who needs her daddy, but how reassuring is it that you can call on your earthly father and know that he cares enough to get in the car in the middle of the night to change your tire, or watch your kids, or whatever else you'd on him for. Well, that is exactly what I'm seeing in my heavenly father, my ABBA. I can go to Him for anything...ANYTHING, and He cares enough to answer me, whether I like his answer or not.
Now, how about this one. God esteems us better than himself. (Rom 12:10) No matter how I try to put this in my own words, I just can't find a better way than to quote the author himself. John Bevere puts it like this; The word says we are to esteem our brother more than us. To which John spoke back to God and said it was meant for the church in which the letter was written to, but God's response was this."I never ask you to do what I, myself will not do." Okay, that blew me away. I'm reading this and I stop! (screech) What do you mean? I thought of so many principles on life listed in the bible and I realized. YAAAH! That is so true. God says what he means and means what he says! He is not wishy-washy. He never, says "Oops, just kidding!", or "I didn't mean that for me. That was only meant for you." His principles have always been, and will always be. He is eternal! He is the Alpha and the Omega!
Shalom my friends, till next time keep pursuing Him!
God Bless!
We pursue what we love, whether that's learning how to get better at some hobby like gardening or buying parenting books so we can be the best parents that we can be. We are always doing something; hiking, fishing, crocheting, growing a better lawn, etc. We see it everyday in different people and in ourselves. We are always pursuing the things of this world and as we pursue other "things" or "hobbies", God all the while is and has been pursuing us.
I don't think I totally grasp this particular concept, but I'm starting to understand. My oldest son is 20 years old and a few weeks ago he was faced with a major hurdle in his life, in which all I wanted to do was travel about 1200 miles away to where he was and help him out. However, he's a young man who has to forge his way in this life, whether I want him to forge down a path I would like him to go, versus his decision of a different path. No matter, in this regard, I have to totally rely on God to guide his path for him and I need to encourage and disengage as a mother who wants to help correct and engage in a mother who is encouraging, loving, and always pursuing him. He knows how much I love and care for him, by not giving up on him...EVER! That's what God was showing me. As I longed to reach out and pursue my son in his struggle, I couldn't. 1. He was physically to far away. and 2. My son has to choose to reach out to me. We have to CHOOSE to reach out to God. He isn't that far, it's us, who choose to value other things over Him, which takes us from Him.
I had to take a long hard look at myself...What am I doing that is of more value than God? Now, you can sit back and say, "I would never put anything before God." but I say nay to you, my friends. (In my Sheldon voice) We are human, and as long as we are in these fallible vessels and have our fallible minds, we will choose other things over God. The difference between a professing believer who lives their life for God and those that don't is this...we have the Holy Spirit, our helper, our counselor, our guiding light, to help remind us gently that we're not in the right place, or that what we are messing with "stinking thinking".What God showed me was interesting. I put t.v. before Him, Facebook gets put before Him, the family and all that goes into the family gets put before Him, my job is put before Him, and all the things I think about are put before Him!...SOBERING, all the things I THINK about! That was interesting to say the least. Yes, the things I think about, are not always pure, their not sexual mind you, but if there is something which happens I tend to dwell on it and mull it over. The more I mull it over the more it weaves into the fiber of my life.This isn't necessarily what I'm going through right now, but just a few short weeks ago, I was praying and God showed me that I need to make a choice before adding more "things" into my life. I prayed for His help on waking up earlier than usual to read the word. And he's been faithful to do that, as I've been OBEDIENT to get up and spend time in His word. I've cut Facebook back to almost nothing. He didn't say give it up, he said what am I putting first before Him. He is first in my day and throughout my day, and when I notice that I'm mulling over something that is starting to turn my insides, I pray and I send out a text to my husband to pray specifically for peace over what's on my mind.... EXHILARATING!! This has been such a freeing experience for me. How many more believers are going through the same thing? I wish I can say I'm the only heathenistic (sorry for the bushism) saint out there, but I know many more are struggling.
God is always in pursuit of us. He paid a ransom for us. Just like we pursue what we love, God our Father, our ABBA, pursues us. (John 3:16, Psa 49:8, Eph 1:7 1 Cor 6:20) God pursues what He loves, and that is US. But why would He love me, little ole me? Because He created us to want to choose Him. To have a relationship with us. He is "calling us out of the darkness into His wonderful light." When you can wrap a synapses around that then the freedom that comes with knowing, I can grab my "woobie" and crawl into his lap, is so comforting and reassuring...I'm not saying, I'm a little child who needs her daddy, but how reassuring is it that you can call on your earthly father and know that he cares enough to get in the car in the middle of the night to change your tire, or watch your kids, or whatever else you'd on him for. Well, that is exactly what I'm seeing in my heavenly father, my ABBA. I can go to Him for anything...ANYTHING, and He cares enough to answer me, whether I like his answer or not.
Now, how about this one. God esteems us better than himself. (Rom 12:10) No matter how I try to put this in my own words, I just can't find a better way than to quote the author himself. John Bevere puts it like this; The word says we are to esteem our brother more than us. To which John spoke back to God and said it was meant for the church in which the letter was written to, but God's response was this."I never ask you to do what I, myself will not do." Okay, that blew me away. I'm reading this and I stop! (screech) What do you mean? I thought of so many principles on life listed in the bible and I realized. YAAAH! That is so true. God says what he means and means what he says! He is not wishy-washy. He never, says "Oops, just kidding!", or "I didn't mean that for me. That was only meant for you." His principles have always been, and will always be. He is eternal! He is the Alpha and the Omega!
Shalom my friends, till next time keep pursuing Him!
God Bless!
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