When Mikel and I were dating, oh so many years ago, he pursued me. Relentlessly. It was awesome.
He sent flowers and letters. He wrote me poems. He called and we’d talk for hours. He’d drive 12 hours home from school just to see me and turn around and drive 12 hours back 36 hours later. Young love sure does some crazy things, doesn’t it?
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever. (Psalm 23: 1, 6 NLT)
Pursue. I love these definitions:
- To follow in order to catch
- To chase
- To go swiftly after in order to overtake
And I especially love this one:
- To chase after someone the way the paparazzi chases a celebrity (I’m pretty sure this wasn’t Webster’s definition, but it sure does paint quite a picture, doesn’t it?)
These verses were like a breath of fresh air to me this morning.
The Lord is my Shepherd; I have ALL that I need.
All. Nothing lacking. Everything included. Nothing missing.
ALL
The reason I have all that I need is because I have HIM. And anything I could ever want or need is found in Him…..healing, provision, protection, peace, shelter, rest. All of it.
He is all I want, and everything I need is found in Him.
Surely goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.
He pursues me. He chases me. He’s following me to overtake me in His love and goodness and mercy and presence.
Relentlessly. Endlessly. Continuously. He pursues me.
We chase after Him, and that’s a good thing. The Bible tells us to. Follow Him. Chase Him. Seek Him. Look for Him. Knowing Him is my purpose and being found in Him is my daily aspiration. But nobody enjoys a one-sided relationship.
We need to remember He’s pursuing us – like the paparazzi. Like a hurricane. Like the waves chasing the shore over and over and over. Endlessly. Relentlessly.
It’s easy to run all day long and get so caught up in what needs done and the details and the drama and the stress of the day and fall in to bed exhausted and spent. And I get it. Trust me when I say – I have more on my to do list than I can possibly get done today.
It can be overwhelming. I know. I live it.
So let’s take this reminder today. Right now.
Deep breath.
The Lord is your Shepherd. You have all you need.
Deep breath.
His goodness and love and peace and grace and presence are pursuing you right now.
Relentlessly.
Deep breath.
Now stop and let Him catch you!