Monday, September 10, 2012

Pursuit is Beautiful to Me

They were only wearing fig leaves because they ate the fruit after being told not to.  One bite made the glory of the Lord fall right off of them.  They took one look at each other and grabbed the nearest leaf to cover up parts that didn't look quite the same.

God, in His all-sovreignty, could have thumped them right off the edge of the earth and started all over.  Instead, He gave them a chance for repentance.  

"Where are you?", He asked.

He gave them a chance for repentance.

He pursued them even when they weren't worth pursuing.

Oh my glory, I love that.

Many years later Abraham found out his nephew, Lot, was taken captive by the enemy.  Abraham gathered 318 of his trained family members to go get him.  They pursued until they found him and brought him back along with all of his possessions.


The word for pursue is "radaph" and it means


to pursue ardently, aim eagerly to secure, pursue; to chase after.

When I know someone who is not walking with the Lord, I can call on prayer warriors who will battle with me until they are back where they are supposed to be, losing nothing.


Sweet.


Psalm 23:6 says "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever."  The word "follow"?  Yep, it is "radaph".  And because Jesus told the rich young ruler not to call Him good, but to use that word for God alone, you could say that "Surely God in His mercy will chase me down ardently all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."


He loves me so much that He pursues me.  All the days of my life.  


That is beautiful to me.


He loves the ones I love so much that He unleashes the armies of heaven when I ask Him to, and hunts them down and brings them back to Him.  


That is amazing to me.



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Saturday, September 8, 2012

All I Did was Blink

I don't know how many more times I will get to do this while they are all still living at home.  A few weeks back Rachel and I were talking about when she might go off to college and we both got teary.  She came and sat in my lap and we cried. 

Rachel turned 17 three weeks ago.   Hannah and Leah will be 18 on Sunday.  

Just yesterday I was changing diapers all day long 
and sleeping 4 hours a night.

Every night before bed, they all come in our room and visit.  We catch up on the day and  figure out plans for tomorrow, give double kisses and whisper good nights and I love yous.

I would not trade these years for anything.



















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