Never Finding What We Are Looking For

nature-beach-sand-oceanAll of life is about pursuit. Everything for sale promises a met need or fulfillment. Every entertainment lures us with escape and rest. Every advance entices with happiness upon success. But we are not stupid. At the core of who we are, we know these things won't comfort, settle or fulfill us. Money can't buy you love and love doesn't equal happiness.

Even so, we keep pursuing, we keep tracking the illusive "thing" and are usually just as lost at the end as we were when we set out. So what if we were meant to find all of this, fulfillment, love and happiness - you add whatever it is for you, somewhere else that is not pursued but received?

This is the grace of Christianity. That Jesus would be all these things and he is the one doing the pursuing.

The Prophet Hosea brought a word of warning to Israel. "She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them." Hosea 2:7. She being the people, shall pursue, search for the things that will give them something but they will never find it. The promises of idols come up short at every turn. Yet God is not leaving them lost and unfulfilled. He works his mercy and allures his bride back home. To safety, peace and purpose.

This is accomplished, at least the wooing, in Christ and for those he has allured, he is bringing us to that garden once again, where creatures live in peace and we have safety forever not because we found him, but because he came for us.

Because this is true, we can turn to Jesus, be fulfilled and have the hope of his promise of forever to come. This frees us from the little pursuits of life and move us into his purpose of sharing the good news with others and living loved, claimed and protected by our "husband."

May you sense his pursuit today and find what you have been looking for in him.

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