How Do You Know You Are Relentlessly Pursued?

  A conversation was happening last week we were involved in.

The question was, "How do you know God has relentlessly pursued you?"

   Such an interesting question! A person may consider, when? Then again, it may be in light of coming to know the King on a personal level, whether it be now or many years ago. It could also be viewed as a protective stance for us…. but consider also, maybe He has covered an area all around us - perhaps we have never looked to see how He protects us as we move forward or to the side, but only through the rear view of our lives do we see His hands having orchestrated our protection.

  The next question was, "What do you relentlessly pursue?"  

    This could be another question that would be considered, "when"? Yet it could also uncover some of our thoughts of us being over zealous about an occupation; coffee; a hobby; eeking out a living or starting a business from scratch while still working full time; Bible study; a loved one - yet how many of us relentlessly pursue God? Do you pursue Him with questions? Do you pursue Him with adoration? Do you relentlessly pursue running away from Him? Do you relentlessly pursue His goodness and joy? Do you relentlessly pursue making something different for dinner? Do you relentlessly pursue capturing the perfect light in a painting or photo?

    I have thought about these two questions quite often this last week, and yet again today was reminded of one thing I have relentlessly pursued - gardening. Our landlord thinks I (Carrie) am completely nuts in composting, buying cow manure to help improve the soil for our garden, tilling the compost/manure mixture with dirt…. He doesn't know it is such a joy for me to have soil that is actually soil! My life has consisted of a) clay  b) glacial till - i.e. rocky ground that is so rocky, there is really very little soil or  c) no garden, so making one out of scraping off the grass & roots and trying to coax life out of clay or rocky soil in a climate that either has very little rain or way too much.  The soil here is  dirt and sand mixture, yet has been used for who knows what, but it can be improved.  I thought when we moved here that Europeans are crazy about recycling and composting…. well, maybe Western Europe is, but there are precious few here that I have met.

  I know God relentlessly pursued me - saving me from giving my life over to satanic worship. In fact, I had yelled at God countless times for fouling up 'the plans'! Oh, what JOY, what AMAZEMENT, what ASTONISHMENT that He would care so much to even 'foul up' my planned death so I wouldn't submit to Him! The fact that He LOVED me, CARED for me, desired to have a RELATIONSHIP with me, and thought THAT I WAS VALUABLE! Me? Such a hater of Him??? He still wanted ME? WHY?? (That my friends, is still a conundrum!) But He DID!

    He CARES that much for you, too! His greatest joy is that when a sinner will submit one's trust in His salvation, His glory, His son's sacrifice for us, in order for US to be reborn in Him! ACCEPTED! REFRESHED! RENEWED! REWORKED for His purposes - some we can never even imagine until we see them….

   Oh, don't delay my friend - TRUST in His plans! There is nothing like the FREEDOM you feel when you come under His obedience and discover that the overflowing JOY comes from this! What an  imaginative God we have! He will till our soil, reworking it from the compost of our former lives, renewing it with the help of His holy spirit and the sacrifice and resurrection of His only son. Give it a go! Allow great beauty and growth to flourish in your hearts and minds through His will…

    

Photo courtesy of Lori Wentland