LORD JESUS, HELP ME TO FLEE THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT OF YOU. YOU ARE THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. HELP ME TO PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAITH, LOVE, AND PEACE. MAY MY AIM BE FOR ALL THAT IS VIRTUOUS AND GOOD, RIGHT LIVING, CONFORMING TO YOUR WILL IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. SHUT MY MIND AND MY HEART TO ALL OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT OF YOU. OH JESUS, HELP ME TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, HOLDING ON TO FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. MAY I NOT BE ONE WHO SHIPWRECKS THEIR FAITH.
THE WORD PURSUE IS A VERB. TO PURSUE MEANS TO CONTINUE, TO CARRY ON, TO FOLLOW, TO GO ON WITH ONE'S COURSE OR JOURNEY. PURSUIT IS THE ACT OF PURSUING. IT IS AN EFFORT TO SECURE OR ATTAIN. IT IS A QUEST. IT IS ANY OCCUPATION, PASTIME, OR THE LIKE, IN WHICH A PERSON IS ENGAGED REGULARLY. IT IS CHASING. IT IS SEEKING A GOAL. LATELY, I HAVE REALLY BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS CONCEPT IN MY LIFE. OF COURSE, THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS CHRIST. HE IS THE LOVER OF MY SOUL. I FAIL HIM TIME AND TIME AGAIN, BUT STILL HE WOOS ME AND PURSUES ME. I CAN RUN ALL DAY LONG, BUT STILL HE REACHES FOR ME. STILL, HE CHOOSES ME EACH AND EVERY DAY. HE BLOCKS MY WAY AND TURNS ME BACK AROUND. TRULY, IT IS HIS KINDNESS THAT LEADS ME TO REPENTANCE. IT'S HIS PURSUIT WITHOUT BEING PUSHY THAT PULLS ME TO HIM. I THINK ABOUT THAT WHICH I HAVE PURSUED AND CONTINUE TO PURSUE. I THINK ABOUT THE ETERNAL, AND I THINK ABOUT THE TEMPORARY. I THINK ABOUT WHAT IS WORTH MY LIFE. TO PURSUE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE, IT MUST BE OF VALUE. IT MUST BE WORTH PURSUING. MY FIRST LOVE, ALTHOUGH NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS, IS CHRIST. I AM WORKING ON MY PURSUIT OF HIM. AT TIMES, I FIND MYSELF CHOOSING OTHER THINGS. THEN, I FEEL THIS TUG IN MY HEART. I FEEL HIS PURSUIT OF ME. SUDDENLY, I AM REMINDED THAT WHATEVER I AM CHOOSING AT THAT MOMENT IS FLEETING. I DESIRE TO BE LIKE PAUL WHEN HE SAYS, "WHAT IS MORE, I CONSIDER EVERYTHING A LOSS COMPARED TO THE SURPASSING GREATNESS OF KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, FOR WHOSE SAKE I HAVE LOST ALL THINGS." I LOVE THE OLD WORSHIP SONG THAT SAYS, "KNOWING YOU, JESUS, KNOWING YOU, THERE IS NO GREATER THING. YOU'RE MY ALL, YOU'RE THE BEST, YOU'RE MY JOY, MY RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND I LOVE YOU LORD." I LONG TO POSSESS A FAITH THAT I KNOW I COULD NEVER EARN. IT'S MOST DEFINITELY A JOURNEY, BUT I AM LEARNING. EVEN IN THE MIDST OF FAILURE AND SET BACKS, I AM CONTINUING ON IN MY JOURNEY WITH JESUS. SOMETIMES, I GET DISCOURAGED. SOMETIMES, I FEEL AS THOUGH I SHOULD BE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE, FRUSTRATED WITH MY MATURITY OR LACK THEREOF. YET, I AM COMFORTED WHEN I REMEMBER THAT MY GOD IS WITH ME, ALWAYS PURSUING ME. HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE. HE CONTINUALLY TAKES GREAT DELIGHT IN ME. HE QUIETS ME WITH HIS LOVE. HE REJOICES OVER ME WITH SINGING. THERE IS NOT ONE THAT KNOWS NOR DEMONSTRATES WHAT IT MEANS TO PURSUE BETTER THAN CHRIST HIMSELF. EVERY HEART DESIRES TO BE PURSUED. SINCE THE LORD BROUGHT CHRISTOPHER IN MY LIFE, I HAVE SEEN MORE OF CHRIST'S HEART FOR ME THAN EVER BEFORE. HIS CHARACTER AND RELENTLESS LOVE HAS OVERTAKEN MY SOUL. I AM OVERWHELMED. THANK YOU LORD FOR THE PRECIOUS WAYS YOU CHOOSE TO LOVE YOUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING CHRIS AND I TO CONTINUE TO CHOOSE YOU FIRST AND ONE ANOTHER SECOND. IT KEEPS ME PURSUING YOU AS YOU PURSUE ME. MAY IT ALWAYS BE THIS WAY. UNTO YOU BE ALL THE GLORY.
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