Pursuit

(Song of Songs 1:4, Ps 34:14. Rom 14:19, 2 Tim.2:22, Heb. 12:14, 1 Pet. 3:11, 1 Cor. 13-14:1)

I looked at Webster’s definition of pursuit and was disappointed in that the tone conjured bad thoughts.  It included capturing and killing, like a hunt.  The Lord wants to capture us for love.  Paul wrote that he was a prisoner of the Lord but he had been captured by the lover of our souls.  To His people, the Lord said through His prophet, that as a young man marries a virgin, so shall the Lord marry you.  That is a beautiful intimacy that our heavenly bridegroom is after.  Yes it is spiritual and includes a lifelong pursuit by the relentless love of God.

We can consider the love of a man and a woman.  A man falls in love and pursues a woman.  They marry.  Natural love.  We read of it in Song of Songs.  It is allegorical and represents the Lord and His church, His bride.  We know the Lord is after something deeper and higher.  The Lord Jesus came on a heavenly mission.  One picture of the end of this age is called the marriage supper of the Lamb.  It is a time of unparalleled joy.

While that unspeakable joy remains for us, we now are in the time of pursuit.  What do we pursue?  First, we see He continually pursues us.  Pursuit is a matter of passionate, heart intensity.  It is compared to a fire.  Fire, once loosed cannot be easily contained.  His Spirit knows how to regulate the flame.  We learn to steward the gift of God in us.  And as the Shulamite (His bride) called to be drawn away, we are called to pursue our Bridegroom as He even pursues us.  What happens when they meet!  May we maintain a single eye, like the dove’s eye.  His eye is single toward us.  May we return such a gaze.

As we look through the referenced passages where we see the call to pursue, they each refer to peace.  When earthly relationships break down, emotions can get raw.  Bitterness is often exposed.  Thank God for His Spirit which helps us to release the pain and bitterness and find grace to forgive.  He brings a comfort which restores our souls and we can maintain peace in the storm.  Pursue peace with all.  And pursue righteousness and sanctification.  Isaiah wrote for us that His kingdom (government) will increase without end and that peace will accompany it.  Maintaining peace is a challenge.  Peace includes His rule, His reign over our hearts.  In Psalm 85, we read that righteousness and peace have kissed.  There we find His kingdom.

What do we pursue?  The question repeats.  Many necessities compete for our time and attention.  Hopefully, the longer we go on, we see our hearts change.  Our pursuits change.  Some seek wisdom, some adventure, some experience, some material things.  The list could continue.  The Living God calls and says, “Seek my face.”  Pursue Me as I pursue you.  Read all of the references and search their context.  How do we spend our time and energy?  First, I have learned to get quiet and receive His peace, the Lord’s presence.  We open up to Him, the One who loves us like no other.

Trouble comes.  Jesus said it would.  To those who are disciples, He said be of good cheer.  Disciples are followers, they are pursuers in that sense.  It makes me think our pursuit must be aligned with our following His lead.  Our efforts apart from Him lead to frustration but that turns us right back to Him.  We need never despair but hope in Him.  Our pursuit includes valleys and climbing mountains.  We find He has been pursuing us all along.

Pursue love, Paul writes at the start of 1 Cor. 14.  We should ignore chapter breaks.  He has clarified the meaning of agape, that deepest, purest love.  Our pursuit includes maintaining it in all our relationships.  That may be the greatest challenge of our lives.  It is not the only thing but the highest.  It remains alongside faith and hope.  It has companions which are also essential.  And Paul says to earnestly desire spiritual life or experience.  Without those gifts our ability to exercise that highest form of love is constrained if not prevented.  Without the presence of Christ in us by His Spirit, how can we love like He loves?  And with Him, we learn to love.