by Alice Smith
And speaking of being pursued, the most important thing I have learned about God’s love is that it is not a “how to” but rather a “belonging to.” He has not only sought you out, but he has also engraved you on the palms of his hands (see Isa. 49:16). You belong to him.
A friend recently told me the story of a man who, while driving his fancy white Cadillac down the highway, opened the door and shoved his Collie out onto the pavement. Bloodied and baffled, the dog finally rose on its legs and chased after the master who had cast him aside and abused him.
Like that rejected Collie, many of us have had such a need for belonging that we too have chased after masters that sought to destroy us. Perhaps you, just as that Collie, have experienced the rebuff or abuse of a parent, sibling, spouse, or friend who should have been there to protect you. If so, you may have a distorted image of God, thinking he can’t possibly want to love you. You might even fear being known by him. Maybe you’re afraid that if you get close, he’ll throw you out of his kingdom, or push you into a painfully intolerable lifestyle.
I have good news. The Lord Jesus is in hot pursuit of you. You may have shut him out, failed him so miserably that no one wants to know your name, or left him in some dry desert of disappointment, but he’s not going to let you go. He will chase you down the highways and the byways, into the subways and the sewers just to let you know he loves you. And then, once Jesus has you, you get to decide how deep your relationship will grow.
We cannot find what we do not seek, and we will not trust what we do not know, so let’s pursue his heart together. That’s right, you and me. Let’s take the risk of being known and loved by the master—let’s move joyfully into the place of spiritual intimacy and grow deeper.