Pursued
by Nancy Ellis
Do you remember the innocence of boys and girls playing hard to get? The adrenaline of knowing someone wanted you and wondering how soon is too soon to let them know you want them back.
Or maybe your favorite investigative drama. The thrill of finding each little clue that answers the big questions.
Well, did you know God investigates your life? Did you know he pursues you daily?
As Christians, we often think through the pursuit of knowing God and being in a relationship with Him. As a young child that grew up in religion, this was a daily “chore”. Say your prayers, repent your sins, go to catechism, go to church. Pursue God in all you do. Growing up I always thought God and I were on good terms because I checked all the boxes.
In my late twenties, I felt like something was missing in this “relationship” I had with God so I started exploring my faith. After 3 years of infertility, God’s grace blessed me with a daughter. As she grew inside of me, so did the need to feel God more intimately. I finally realized what I was missing was my relationship with Jesus! All these years God was pursuing me to accept the greatest gift he could give me. Not my own child but his- Christ Jesus.
He put me in the right place, at the right time, with the right influences and the right message. I heard his voice so clearly one Friday night during service say “I know you, I have always been right here, I have been at work in your life. Seek me and you shall find me. Don’t focus on religion. Focus on the relationship”.
King David shows us that before we ever began to pursue God, God pursued us.
Psalm 139:1-4 God knows the real you.
Psalm 139:7-8 God is closer to you then you realize.
Psalm 139:13 God has always been working for you.
I dedicated my life to Jesus that night even though I thought I dedicated my life to God years ago. My life has not been the same since. The intimacy I feel with Jesus is so close. I am in constant communication with him. And I know there is no place I can go to avoid his Spirit.
As I continue to meet new believers or even family members that question their faith I remind myself that God is pursuing and investigating them. My prayers are not that God finds them because I know He has always been at work in their life. My prayer is that I lead by example in my relationship with Christ and more importantly that they open their spirits up to see that God has been perusing them all along. All they have to do is accept his love.
Have you felt God pursuing you lately?
My sisters have confidence that He is!
Nancy Ellis is a wife, mom of two little ones, a successful businesswoman and leads a Small Group for Moms here at Cape Christian. Her passion to lead in love in every area of life is contagious as she helps women of all ages to embrace God’s love for them. She is transparent, real and one of the most encouraging women I know.