God That Pursues

I have been spending a lot of time in Luke 15 lately. I love it when this happens. I keep getting drawn back to a passage to get more and more and more. I feel like the little girl on the AT&T commercial; “we want more, we want more.” 

This is a famous passage with 3 parables and most people probably recognize these encouraging passages. Lately, however, I am drawn to something more. I am drawn to this image that we have a God that pursues us, a God that loves us no matter what, a God that rejoices when we turn or turn back to Him. 

Of course we have the parable of the lost sheep; a story of the good Shepherd leaving 99 in search of the one lost sheep; the one gone astray. We have the parable of the Lost Coin; a story of the woman painstakingly searching, sweeping, seeking the one lost coin. And we have the parable of the prodigal son; the story of the rebel who turned away, squandered and ultimately realized his need of the Father. Each parable ends with great rejoicing, there is a celebration; because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost, and is found! 

There is so much more in these parables, but can’t you see the seeking, the yearning, the searching of our Great God? So encouraging, so no matter if we find ourselves wandering away, lost, or rebelling we can trust there is an amazing grace looking for each of us. 

I will end with the words from a hymn written by W. Spencer Walton:

In tenderness he sought me, weary and sick with sin, and on His shoulders brought me back to his fold again, while angels in His presence sang until the courts of Heaven rang. 

Oh the love that sought me! Oh, the blood that bought me! Oh, the grace that brought me to the fold, wondrous grace that brought me to the fold! 

Grace and Peace!