Pursued by God

About a year ago, our daughter, who was gainfully employed at the time, began receiving texts and e-mails from a major company that wanted to hire her. Over time, the correspondence elevated to a request for an interview. Then came a job offer. When she hesitated at accepting the job, she received a second sweeter offer with higher pay to entice her to accept. She eventually took the job.

During that whole process, our daughter enjoyed the experience of being pursued. Most of us appreciate being wanted, valued, and desired by someone else.

Which brings us to a Hebrew word that is often overlooked in our reading of the final verse of Psalm 23. Most Bible versions translate Psalm 23:6: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

But look up any good Hebrew translation book and the word that is often translated as follow in this particular verse is a Hebrew word that actually means pursue. Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life.

I can understand how the translators might easily use the word follow for this verse. A pursuer will be a follower. But the company that eventually hired our daughter did more than follow her. They actually pursued her. They looked for her. They sought her out.

The picture that the original Hebrew of Psalm 23 gives us is this. The God of the universe who created you, also pursues you. He pursues you… all the days of your life… with goodness and mercy.

Think about that for a moment.

God hasn’t dropped you off in this world and forgotten about you. The Lord hasn’t lost you in a crowd of 7 billion people. This is the God who created the stars and knows them all by name even though there are gazillions of them (Psalm 147:4). Keeping track of everyone in large gatherings has never been a problem for God.

The Lord pursues you throughout your life to give you goodness. Many might immediately associate goodness as being primarily money and stuff. But the large numbers in this world who are simultaneously rich and miserable are a reminder that goodness and money are not equivalents. God pursues us to give us a greater good… what the Bible calls good news.

God pursues you to give you His mercy. Mercy involves someone not giving us the punishment that we rightly deserve.

About the only thing that our daughter’s employer did not do in the hiring process was to send the son of the owner to talk to her. That wasn’t going to happen in a company of over 60,000 employees. The boss’ son has more important things to do.

But the God of the Bible did send His only begotten Son into our world for you and I. There are plenty of religions in the world that strive to teach you how to reach up and find God. The Christian faith is the one that tells of the God who created this world, reaching down and pursuing us with goodness and mercy. Scriptures give story after story of how Jesus came to seek and save the lost… the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son. He took our sin upon Himself, and paid the debt we owed.

Someday our daughter’s job will be over. If she retires at that company, she’ll eventually be forgotten along with a long list of other outstanding retirees.

No matter. If she knows her Bible, she’ll also know that God values and desires her more than any employer ever will. And she’ll also realize that… Surely His goodness and mercy shall pursue her all the days of her life.

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