Hot Pursuit

Hot Pursuit

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63:1‬

I remember watching this television show called the Dukes of Hazzard. Two cousins running moonshine and a local sheriffs office trying to catch them. They were always chasing after them, but never catching them. 

There are several ways to go after God in your life. You can walk after God, run after God or be in Hot Pursuit after God. Where are you?

Are you seeking God?  Do you thirst for God?  Do you long for a relationship with God?  Look at the verse above and see how David describes it. 

Years ago I lived for me. I lived to make money. I lived to fulfill my needs, desires and wants. I put everyone else second. I was the most important thing and so were a lot of other things. 

And if we are going to be honest here - what’s the most important thing in your life? Family? Money? Things? Position? Social standing?

I never turned to God. Ever. Sure I went to church. Read the Bible, in church. Bowed my head and listened to a prayer - at church. I didn’t even pray for my food. 

The things I lived for were for me. Sure I loved my family and friends. You can love people and things tremendously and not be close to God. I’m living proof. You can live a good life - and not be close to God. 

I didn’t have a relationship with God, much less pursue Him. Sure there were times when I turned to Him when things were bad, only to turn away when things got better. I prayed for God to fix things. I used Him as my genie in a bottle. 

It was a relationship of convenience and necessity. Not submission or concession. I didn’t sacrifice or submit. I didn’t concede or humble myself. I didn’t commit. 

David seeks God. He is pursuing God all the time. This Psalm shows how David turns to God in the morning, during the day and in the evening. 

We have to seek God. We have to pursue Him. It has to be relentless and with everything we have. Not part time. Not when it’s convenient. It has to be hard to do.  Most of us barely give a part time effort to a full time sacrifice. 

It’s not easy to do. To give into our selfishness. To die to ourselves. But in order to live for Christ we must put ourselves aside. It’s so hard to do.  I struggle daily. 

If you refuse to go to your knees for God, He will put you on them Himself. True story. 

I know this all too well. I knew why the bad things happened to me, because I did bad things. But I also knew God didn’t give up on me. Sure we can saturated ourselves in misery - but that’s not what God wants from us. He wants us to glorify Him through our circumstances. Good and bad. 

I have learned to turn to God early. Early in the morning. It doesn’t work for everyone. But for me I need to start my day off with God. I want Him to have me first. I want my prayer, study, devotion and worship time to be with Him before anything else. I don’t want life and this world to get in the way. 

Before even getting out of bed I pray to God. I meditate on Him. I barely make it to the bathroom in the morning, brush my teeth, eyes hurting and barely awake. I make my coffee. I’ve laid my Bible, highlighters, note pad, pen and devotions out the night before. I sit and pray. Sometimes long, sometimes short. And then I get into the word of God. 

I wasn’t doing things right before because I never put God first in my life. Everything, everyone and me were the firsts. I wasn’t pursuing Him, much less turning the corner for Him. 

There is time in your life for God, but it’s where you put Him, not where He decides to be.  God wants to be first in your life - you just have to make the time for Him. He wants you to pursue Him. 

Prayer is a part of the pursuit. But just a part. You have to put God in your life everywhere and it starts by taking the world out. It doesn’t mean you stop living. It means your start living for God. You take out the alcohol, the tobacco, the cursing, the wandering eyes, the foolish behavior, the sin in your heart.

I have to purposely get up and get to God. I have to make the time. I have to commit and sacrifice - and so do you. God is only where you put Him in your life. 

“Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63:3‬

“Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63:4‬

We are so blessed to be here, today and now. Yet, so many of us continue on each day wanting everyone else to believe we are living for God. We do a minute here or a minute there just to satisfy our definition of what was enough. 

“When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63:6-7‬

“My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63:8‬

How hard do we follow after God? Are you doing a little here or there? Are you making God the priority in your life?  

Are you are in hot pursuit?