His Relentless Pursuit

  Have you ever feared you would miss God’s voice, or worse, His will?   What if somehow He calls me and I don’t hear Him?   It was one of my greatest fears until God gave me a new perspective.

     A few years back we were in the midst of what I call the “season of the jobs”.  My husband ended up having 6 jobs in 4 years, all of them paid thousands less than our living expenses.  Life was pretty hard and there were times when we desperately needed rescue.  We started to wonder if somehow we had missed His voice, or worse, refused to listen.  I considered how finite I was.  What if I didn’t hear Him when He called?  This fear often plaqued me during those days, consuming my mind.  On one such day, God decided to give me a new picture, a revelation of His heart that would release me.

     My husband and I were sitting downstairs at the desk looking things up on the computer when my oldest son came down and headed outside.  My husband had instructions to give him before he went out to play so he called out his name.  My son who was in his own world, continued on his quest unaware of his dad’s voice.  My husband called again, this time louder.  Again my son didn’t hear.   David then got up and headed towards the door to call him for the third time.  But Josiah still did not respond.  He went a step further and followed him outside, calling his name until he acknowledged him.  He did not intend to give up until his son heard him.  Finally, Josiah turned his face towards David and was given the message his dad had been waiting to give him.

     It was in that moment God’s words restored my picture. “Did you see that Jewel?”  Yes, Papa.  “Jewel, just like David went after Josiah to make sure he heard his voice, I will come after you.”  “I will not leave you until you hear my voice.”  “I will follow you out to where you are if need be to make sure you know which way to go.”  “Don’t fear, dear one.”  “I will come for you.”

  

     It’s one of those moments that digs in and takes root.  God had unveiled a revelatory picture for my heart.  Today as I write this 6 years later I can still see it.

     I don’t have to fear that I will miss His voice.  He knows I want to follow Him.  He looks on my heart and reads my thoughts.  He will run after me to make sure I know what He wants me to know.  It is He who pursues me.  He will relentlessly pursue me to make Himself known.  Just as no good parent will send their child out without what they need to know, neither will my God. 

 

      It’s not up to me to make sure I hear His voice.  It’s up to me to listen and answer when He calls.  He says, “seek me and you will find me.”  It is He who finds me and brings me to Himself.  So often I make things in this walk with Him about me and my responsibilities when He makes it about Him and His pursuit of me.  He calls unto me, I respond to His call.  

     No amount of fretting will give me His will.  His will is already in me waiting to be revealed by Him.  As I have been crucified with Christ, I have become the dwelling place of God, therefore His will is now indwelling me.    His Spirit lives to bring revelation to me.  It’s then I get to choose to follow or not.  It is not my ability to find the path that brings it forth.  It is the Spirit’s revealing that makes it known.  He waits to reveal what is already placed inside me.

     He will come after me until I hear His voice.  I felt the chains of fear fall off as He spoke to me.  It’s not up to me.  He’s got it all and He won’t let me miss Him.  I can rest.  It is His work.  I am His child.  He will hunt me down until I hear His voice.  His sweet peace becomes my reality.

     I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them.   Isaiah 42:16a

    You have made known to me the path of life;  Psalm 16:11

 This is also posted at:Heart of the Matter

©copyrighed 2008 by Julie L. Todd