Chasing the God Who’s Chasing You!

When we read David’s psalms, we see that his life was devoted to a pursuit of God’s presence. Psalm 132:3-5 quotes him as saying:

Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, or go up to the comfort of my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.

Because of David’s radical pursuit of God’s presence, he was able to experience God’s power and a lifetime of fulfilling God’s purpose.

The Lord gives this beautiful description of David’s example and legacy:

I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will (Acts 13:22 ESV).

As a result of his dedication, David “served the purpose of God in his own generation” (Acts 13:36 ESV).

I want my life to reflect this same commitment to God’s presence, power, and purpose, don’t you? But the Bible says our pursuit of intimacy with God begins with a revelation that “He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Before you or I ever took a step in His direction, Jesus came and pursued a relationship with us. Without waiting for us to clean up our act first, He demonstrated His love on the cross “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).

God’s pursuit of us is illustrated in the Prodigal Son story. While the wayward son “was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20 NASB).

Friend, no matter where you’re at in life today, your Heavenly Father wants to run to you and affectionately embrace you!

Second Chronicles 16:9 (NASB) says it this way: “The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”

Isn’t it good to know that the Lord is scanning the whole world, looking for people to strengthen and bless?

Benefits of Pursuing God

In Psalm 23, David wrote about blessings of following the Lord as his Good Shepherd. But his life included examples of many other benefits of pursuing the Lord’s presence:

• By worshiping God on his harp, David was able to chase away evil spirits from King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14-23).
• Because of the boldness gained from his intimacy with God, David could slay giants (1 Samuel 17:45-51).
• Since he knew how to go to the Lord for encouragement and direction during difficult times, David was able to take back everything the enemy had stolen from him (1 Samuel 30:1-19).
• Recognizing God’s goodness in his life, David concluded that “those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing” (Psalm 34:10).

If you have a need in your life today, the solution is clear:

When you seek the Lord, you’ll find whatever you need in His presence!

Feeling weak today? You can receive POWER in God’s presence.

Feeling directionless and hopeless? In His presence, you’ll rediscover your purpose in life.

Friend, the Lord is the lover of your soul. No matter what barriers you may have erected in His way, He has never stopped pursuing you. If it’s been a while since you’ve felt the Father’s loving embrace, His arms are open wide for you today!