‘Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,

I am He Whom thou seekest! Francis Thompsaon. The Hound of Heaven

Today we come to the end of our church’s 21 Days of Prayer which began the first week of January.  Twice a year our pastors challenge us to spiritual reset in busy lives, to  pray, meditate, and worship God  a little more conscientiously, a lot more engaged than in  the slapdash way I so easily fall into.   I’ve  been touched by this January’s theme – God’s  Voice speaking, us hearing Him, and especially  listening. The last requires more than my ears; it requires a heart response. Along with the 21 days of personal prayer, once a week evening devotions called Pursuit Nights call together those who want to pursue even more the things of God.

For many years I’ve gone on a week long silent retreat  in January. (Yes, it  is virtually 100%  silent and the first time I participated, not speaking for a week  was very difficult .) Silence and listening take practice. However, the rewards are immeasurable. One finds that noise pollution dulls spiritual senses and discernment. One needs to throw it off like a scratchy horsehair blanket.  I did not go this year but focused on hearing God right where I am. It is breathtakingly beautiful right outside my window and His Voice doesn’t speak only in the quiet of a monastery or on a snow crowned mountain peak. I do not have to go away to pursue God. The truth is, that it is God who does the pursuing.

To pursue means to take deliberate action in order to catch up to or overtake someone or something. Pursuit is more intense than chasing, seeking, following or tracking. Pursuit in the Bible has a very strong element of relentlessness, of never giving up the pursuing.  The Bible is  very clear that God is the Relentless Pursuer of our souls,  that we are the ones being pursued , that we’ve rebelled and are foolishly trying to get away. It began in the Garden after the fall.  God asked Adam “Where are you?” And Adam replied,

“I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid  because I was naked; and I hid myself.” Genesis 3:10

Ever since, mortals  have tried to hide from God, from His Voice calling us back to Himself and from our own sinful rebellion. The first six verses of Psalm 139 describe  God knowing everything about us. He knows all our ways, every word on our lips, and every thought we have. God knows us so intimately, that David writes,

Where can I go from Your Spirit? O where can I flee from your presence? 139:7

We cannot flee from the Spirit of God, neither in the heavens nor in hell. We cannot  silence God’s  Voice  which never, ever ceases speaking.  We cannot  escape from God’s hand upon  us.  We cannot  hide from the love of God in Christ Jesus except to reject the gift of His salvation. It is useless to run and hide, but  in the words of the British poet Francis Thompson, “the Hound of Heaven”,  nevertheless,

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;

I fled Him, down the arches of the years;

I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways

Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears. 

I hid from Him, and under running laughter.

During Pursuit Nights I’ve heard many times that  we need “to go after the things of God.” I‘m not sure what this means exactly.  What are  these things we should  pursue? Is it our purpose? The abundant life? A  new calling or ministry? Is it healing or restoration? Vision? The gifts of the Spirit?   Benevolence? Missions? We pursue worthwhile goals but even our  best aspirations and priorities  can be skewed. Stop running after. Christian, be still and know that I am God. I am He Whom thou seekest.

The LORD   who formed us in the womb, who loved the world  enough to send Jesus to die for us, who reconciles us with Himself, speaks and asks:  “I have searched you and known you.  Will you not allow me to  pursue you  and overtake you  with Myself? “