The Pursuit Of God
The question is, does God pursue us? Most people will say, “No”, but does Scripture bear that out? We see in Genesis 3:8-9 this, “Now they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
Now we know that God knows all things, so why did He call out to Adam? God could have just said, “Well, I guess Adam does not want to meet with Me today”, and He could have gone on His way. But God wanted Adam to know that He was going to pursue him and that he could not hide from Him. Right from the start of time God made it known that man could not run or hide from Him.
Psalm 139 :7-12 tells us this, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take up the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will take hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” even darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”
Psalm 23:6 says this, “Goodness and grace will pursue me every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai for years and years to come.”
Who is goodness and grace? None other than our God Himself, who pursues us so that we may live with Him forever.
God pursues us like a man who pursues his future wife.
Hosea 2: 14 says this, “Therefore, behold, I am going to persuade her, bring her into the wilderness, and speak kindly to her.”
God loves us because He has chosen us, like a man who has chosen his future bride and so he takes delight in her.
Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The Lord your God …will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
And nothing will separate us from His love.
Romans 8:38-39 tells us, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.”
The reason we love is because He first loved us, 1John 4:19.
John 15:16-17 tells us, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.”
So If God pursues us, whom He loves, and whom He wants to share His kingdom with, then shouldn’t we also pursue those who need God?
Luke 15:4-7 tells us, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the other ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”
We too, must love others, and even pursue others with not only the truth of God’s love, but also in demonstrating that love.
Colossians 3:11-17 says, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Messiah, to which you were indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be thankful. Let the word of Messiah richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
But some people do not want God, and they do not want Him pursuing them. But God will always give them a chance to change their mind. He will always try right up to their last breath. The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 is a good example of how our Father waits for us. We will look at verses 20-24, “So he set out and came to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let’s eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
As 2 Peter 3:8-9 tells us, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”
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