Exodus 34:5

And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 

It is amazing how the Lord pursued the Israelites and yet they were so rebellious and so willing to turn to anything that distracted them in their walk with Him through the wilderness.  While God was rescuing them and trying to walk with them and have a special relationship with them they were quick to complain and go another direction.

Stop for a minute today and take a look around you; how is God pursuing you?  It could be something as “little” as blessing you with a sunrise or sunset that you find unbelievably gorgeous.  It could be an unexpected kindness from a friend or maybe it is something bigger like an answer to something you have been praying for.  No matter where you are today in life, it’s there!  God is pursuing you because He so desires that closeness with you!  He doesn’t just bless you to bless you, He also blesses you because it gives Him so much pleasure doing it!

When you read the book of Exodus it is amazing the lengths God went to even through all of their rebellion and non stop complaining to develop that closeness with the Israelites, thus the 40 years for the 11 day journey.  God was trying to get their attention so they could have the best of the best of relationships with Him.  He knew if they weren’t strong enough spiritually when He gave them their blessing which was the promised land, they would fall away and it would be to their detriment!  He wanted what was best for them and He knew that when He first brought them out of Egypt they were not strong enough and He needed time with them in the wilderness to grow them up spiritually so they would thrive in the Promised land!  He didn’t just want to bless them, He wanted them to thrive once they got there!

Bill and I have downsized things in the ministry dramatically and everyone keeps asking us what is next.  Well, right now we both feel that God has called us to draw closer to Him and focus on growing spiritually.  We aren’t sure what all He may call us to do, but obviously we need to do more growing and less “doing” for a bit so we can thrive and not just exist in whatever He leads us into next.  It is time for us to pour ourselves into His word and anything else we can do to develop the strongest relationship possible with Him!  What a precious time this will be although it will not be necessarily an easy time.  Bill and I are so use to being overwhelmingly busy that to slow down so quickly was like running into a brick wall but that is more than likely why God has slowed us down.  We need time to hear His voice.  Sometimes we as ladies can get so caught up too doing like Martha in the new testament that we don’t take the time Mary did to listen to Him!

Look for Him today and know that every little thing He does is to pursue you and to know you in the hopes you will draw closer to Him and want to know Him as well.

Quote:

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”  Ronald E. Osborn