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Day 24: A Life of Pursuit (SoS 1:4a)

 "Draw me away! We will run after you. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you." Song of Songs 1:4

Right after the Bride makes another request of her beloved she follows with a promise to pursue Him in the company of some other people.
When we look at the change in tenses in this book so far, we will realize that a life of intimacy with Jesus, though private and personal, is not a solitary life. This is because when we were born into Christ we were born into a body and Jesus is as committed to His collective church as He is to every individual Christian.

So far, every statement the Bride has made, she made not as an initiator of action but merely as a recipient or beneficiary. But here she goes from passive to active tense. Her desires had grown to the extent that she commits to not wait for his actions alone but to do something on her part. It's a statement of determination. Whether he draws or not, she will chase Him. Whether He initiates anything or does not, she will go after Him.

A vibrant relationship with Jesus is an endless cycle of being drawn by and running after Him.  Whatever spiritual act we purpose to do and successfully execute is a work of grace in our hearts by His Spirit. His love is what strengthens us to love Him. 1 John 4:19 says:

"We love Him because He first loved us"

Our desire for Jesus must grow to this stage. Where we don't wait for Jesus to draw us but we're constantly pursuing Him. God is much more pleased when we desire Him enough to run after Him. To not wait till He comes to us but we go to Him. God said about David in Acts 13:22:

"...God raised up David to be king, for God said of him, ‘I have found in David, son of Jesse, a man who always pursues my heart and will accomplish all that I have destined him to do.’

When you read through the story of David and all his Psalms, you'll see that David was far from perfect but His heart and desire for God above all else was constant. In the good and bad times, from life as a shepherd boy to running from his enemies, times it seemed God had forsaken him, and even during his life on the throne. David was always in pursuit of God and we see the drawing and running aspects of his relationship with God. An example is Psalm 63:8 where he says:

"With passion I pursue and cling to you. Because I feel your grip on my life, I keep my soul close to your heart."

We can see David's and God's part in this Psalms. It's the same for us. For every action of love and drawing on our Beloved's part, there is a running we must do. A life of intimacy with our Bridegroom King Jesus is a life of pursuit. We must reciprocate His love and passion every day.

PRAY WITH ME:
Lord, I make a decision right now to not wait till you draw but to run after you every day for the rest of my life. Help me, Lord, like David, to be a man who pursues Your heart in good and bad times. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:
    • What does pursuing Jesus mean to you? In what ways do you think you can pursue Jesus today?
    • Read Psalm 63, and note David's attitude towards seeking God and the ways he fellowships with God in this Psalm. 

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