Violent Pursuit



The word violent has a negative connotation to me, because it reminds me of the news and all of the awful things that they report each day.

  • Domestic violence in the home which destroys children, families and marriages
  • Violent weather including hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, typhoons and the like
  • Violent crimes of rape, murder, armed robbery, bombings, etc.
  • International violence with threats of war and thousands of lives lost

None of these things are positive, but are vicious, harmful and ruin lives. Not a one of them would be pleasing to God and His best plan for the world. So I was quite surprised when I read that in order to have a more intimate personal time with God we should pursue God violently. 
Hmmmm….
I went to a Yahoo search for more insights.
Violent Definition (adjective)
  1. Marked by, acting with, or resulting from great force 
  2. Having a showing of great emotional force
  3. Marked by intensity; extreme

Using that definition it makes perfect sense. If we pursue God with intensity and strong emotional engagement, we will have a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Him. It doesn’t mean that we can give God the occasional nod and 5 minute devotional, but that it takes hard work and a large time investment to truly know Him in the way He desires and will reward. 
When we chase after Him in a passionate way, not only will we be transformed in our knowledge of Him, but in our service to Him with opportunities for sharing His love placed in our path, abundant  occasions to share the message of salvation and numerous instances to help others.
Even though my first reaction to “spiritual violence” was a bit skeptical, I now know that it is what I want. No more of the plain vanilla relationship with the God of the universe. I want to run the race of life with passion, pursuit and abandonment. Won’t you join me and see what God can and will do in our lives?
1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
www.hearthope.org

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Roxy--Our Adopted Best Friend

Image
Roxy was our beloved pet for 14 years. We got her for my daughter Lynn’s sixteenth birthday. Lynn had been begging for a dog and in a weak moment we agreed to her request. We decided that a pound puppy would be a good choice, so off to PetsMart we went, since they brought in a selection of puppies for adoption each weekend. Upon surveying the motley crew of dogs and cats, Lynn and I spotted a couple of cute white dogs with black and brown spots—a brother and sister pair, but we weren’t quite sure if one of them might be “the right one.” So back to the car for the next stop, and off to the humane society we went. Anytime you go to a place like that you hurt for the sad little animals just peering through the cages, longing to be grabbed up into your arms to be loved and cared for and you wish that you could take them all home. After checking out the big dogs, the small dogs, the old and the young, the hairy and even scary dogs, it was determined that none of those was meant to go home...
Read more

Bavarian Cream Pie

Image
2 eggs 1/8 t salt 3/4 c scalded milk 1 c whipping cream 1 T gelatin 1/4 c cold water 1/2 c sugar 1 t vanilla Chocolate crumb crust Beat sugar and egg yolks. Then add milk and scald until it sticks to the spoon, stirring constantly. Let gelatin and cold water soak until dissolved, then add to milk and let cool. Whip cream and egg whites separately and then mix together. Mix cream and egg mixture to the milk that has been cooled. Add vanilla to mixture. When this begins to congeal, pour into chocolate crumb crust. Put into refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle crushed crumbs over the top before serving. www.hearthope.org
Read more

Kolaches

Image
Easy Kolaches This recipe is from Judie Byrd who has a cooking school in Fort Worth, TX. It is so easy and good. 1 stick of butter or margarine 2 packages of 10 count flaky biscuits 1 can pie filing (any flavor) Topping: 6 T flour 4 T cold margarine 1/2 c sugar Separate the biscuits in half, according to the flaky layers. Dip each piece in melted butter and place on a cookie sheet. Make an indentation in the middle of each using your thumb. Put about 1 tablespoon of pie filling into the indented space. Make the topping by cutting the flour and sugar into the cold butter. Sprinkle topping over pastries. Cook at 375 degrees about 15 minutes or until good and brown. If you don't have pie filling, you can use jam. www.hearthope.org
Read more