Thoughts for Life: God's Loving Pursuit

Max Lucado- Dare we envision a God who follows us? Who pursues us? Who chases us? Who tracks us down and wins us over? Who follows us with "goodness and mercy" all the days of our lives?

Isn't this the kind of God described in the Bible? A God who follows us? (Google image, Ways to follow God's plan for your life)

Moses can tell you about it. He was forty years in the desert when he looked over his shoulder and saw a bush blazing. God had followed him into the wilderness.

Jonah can tell you about it. He was a fugitive on a boat when he looked over his shoulder and saw clouds brewing. God had followed him onto the ocean.

The disciples of Jesus knew the feeling of being followed by God. They were rain soaked and shivering when they looked over their shoulders and saw Jesus walking toward them. God had followed them into the storm.

John the Apostle was banished on Patmos when he looked over his shoulder and saw the skies begin to open. God had followed him into his exile.

Lazarus was three days dead in a sealed tomb when he heard a voice, lifted his head, and looked over his shoulder and saw Jesus standing. God had followed him into death.

Peter had denied his Lord and gone back to fishing when he heard his name and looked over his shoulder and saw Jesus cooking breakfast. God had followed him in spite of his failure.

God's Loving Pursuit
by Max Lucado

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." ~~ Psalm 23:6

Let's pray-

"Holy Spirit, You are our Liberator! Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit are with me! Amen."

Scripture Reading 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 13:14
Germine Copeland

Prayers that avail much

241-245 one-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more this week-

241- John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
242- Ps. 23:1 "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
243- Ps. 18:29 "For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall."
244- James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
245- Ps. 55:16 "As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me."

Today's quote-

~ Beni Johnson- "We get to come to the Lord with or choliy—our grief, our sickness, our pain—and make an exchange. Because of all that Christ did on the cross, we now have access to the same health and wholeness that is found in Him. Our God is the healer. It's not something that He chooses to do or not do; it is who He is. When you take Communion, align yourself up with this reality. Plead the blood of Jesus over your soul, your spirit, and your body. And receive His transformative, healing presence into every area of your life."

Words of wisdom-

~ Whatever the Lord has in store for us today, will be under His care and provision. Even our earthy parents couldn't give us the guidance we'll need to have a good attitude for what we'll face, but He can. On empty and lonely days, we can depend on His help.

Today's guest post-

Hit the Delete Button

Andrea Merrell- The typewriter has

become a relic. A white elephant. Something that belongs in a museum, much like the old rotary telephones.

Even though some of us cut our typing teeth on these manual monstrosities, we love our PCs and laptops and are not planning to pull our typewriters out of the attic any time soon. We certainly don’t miss carbon paper, erasers, messy ribbons, or starting from scratch when a mistake is beyond correction . . . "

The pastors and elders of the CFC churches in northern NY, are providing a daily devotional:

"Streams in the Desert" and provide a short Scripture reading and a brief message from one of the pastors or elders every day for the coming season. Past special song presentations are listed.

The home pages of the CFC website: https://www.cfconline.org/

[Replay past services, and read past devotionals you missed.
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The livestream link: https://www.cfconline.org/live
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