July 27, 2023
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If you want to ask me the five greatest victories in my life, I'm not sure I can tell you what two, three, four or five would be. But I could sure tell you what number one would be - my wife! She was not an easy conquest, man. She was dating this other guy. I was after her long before she had any romantic thoughts about me. So I really had to work on this one. So I plotted ways to be with her, I plotted ways to impress her. I plotted ways to try to help her. Is this stalking? I'm not sure. But this is all under the heading "Oh, we have a brother and sister relationship." That's what it was.
After several months of this brother/sister thing, I blurted out to her one night, standing by a water fountain - I remember it. We were in college. I said, "I'm sick and tired of this brother/sister thing. I want to have more than that." See, I loved her before she loved me and I pursued her. Oh, p.s., and I got her.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Love That Pursues You."
Our word for today from the Word of God, John 1 beginning at verse 45. It's actually loaded with some revealing information about what Jesus might be doing in your life right now. Philip has just come to Christ. And it says, 'Philip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the One Moses wrote about in the law and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'" Here's what Nathanael says. "'Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?' 'Come and see' said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, 'Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.' 'How do you know me?' Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.' Then Nathanael declared, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.'"
You notice Nathanael's not initially interested in Jesus. But then Jesus says, "I saw you long before you saw me." Well that melted Nathanael's heart and it ultimately made him one of the disciples of Jesus Christ.
Actually, Jesus has had His eye on you for a long time. Here's what the Bible says in Ephesians 1:4, "He chose us in Christ before the creation of the world." God has had His eye on you since before there was a world. And over the years of your life He has been pursuing you with His love whether you were paying any attention to Him or not. Like this guy I know who pursued this girl, and she was beautiful and attractive. The Bible says we're not beautiful and attractive to God. In fact it says, "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
God's love for you and me? It's not romantic love. It isn't because we're lovable. In fact, we're sinners. We've hijacked our life from our Creator - the life that He gave us. Listen to this description of God's love for you. "This is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (John 4:10).
Now, I know on a finite level what it means to love someone before that person responds, to pursue the one you love. Well, the God of the universe has been doing that with you. He's been waiting for you while you've been checking out all those other options for your heart. Today, again, He's knocking on the door of your heart saying, "Isn't it time you opened your heart and your life to Me?"
He won't wait forever. That's why the Bible says, "Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near." Today's really the only day you can be sure He'll still be found. You need to respond to God's love by committing yourself to Jesus Christ with all your heart. How? I would be honored to help you get that settled this very day. So, would you go to the website to help you begin with Jesus? It's ANewStory.com.
Christ has loved you enough to sacrifice His life for yours. And today, where you are, He is pursuing you with His love. And He's been waiting patiently for you to respond. Please, my friend, don't risk losing the love that your heart was made for.