Let God Pursue Your Heart!

"Make sure that your pursuits won't overshadow God's pursuit of your heart." This is a vague paraphrasing of what Pastor Bruce Deel shared during this year's AMI Rev that has continued to reverberate in my head and my heart.

We have been following King Solomon's ascent to power, wealth, and wisdom and his dedication to the Lord with the building of the temple. Yet, despite all of his wisdom and passion for the Lord, his heart was not immune to the temptations of this word: women, material comfort, wealth, etc. Even he was pulled astray. As I think about King Solomon and his gradual walk away from God, I'm TERRIFIED that the same will happen to me or to those closest to me. I mean, if somebody whom God had been pleased with and had been granted wisdom greater than any other man is able to turn away from the Lord, what's to keep me from doing the same?? I guess I can answer that question on my own. It is only by the Lord's grace. How closely must I cling onto His love and trust that His grace is the only thing that will keep me from falling away? 

And so, I have two concluding thoughts: 

1) Even in the midst of my mistakes or stubborn heart, God is merciful. Despite how far King Solomon had strayed, God still kept one tribe for him, "for the sake of David... and for the sake of Jerusalem." I think it's in these moments that God's love for us is so clear: He is a just God, so consequences must be served, but at the same time, He grants us opportunities to come back to Him.

2) I must first allow God to pursue and to work in my heart. I must trust in His promises and that "every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17), which means that He will provide. But first, I must surrender my need to control how I may secure my wealth/comfort/needs. Additionally, salvation wasn't earned by anything that I did, what's there for me to boast about? I have to constantly align my heart with the mindset that there is nothing for me to claim as my own. 

I'm praying this morning, and for every day, that we all will learn how to trust in the Lord to work in our hearts, to fill up our hearts with His love. Only in this way will we be able to go out into our mission field to love on others!