Our Church calls God’s word efficacious. He speaks and things happen; “let there be light, and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3). I often wonder how hard it was to do that in comparison to how hard it was to move my heart. For as far back as I can remember I have always had a conversational relationship with God. However, in the beginning, it was more antagonistic than cooperative. The poet Francis Thompson wrote a very famous poem called the Hound of Heaven where he speaks of our fetal attempt to run from God and how God pursues us with eternal persistence. And so I gave in. Not all at once mind you and I think I am still trying to completely surrender.
It happened because God’s word, the Logos, Jesus Christ, pursued me in scripture, His word. Inspired by the Holy Spirit the authors of the Bible wrote a personal love letter for each of us to experience 3 things. First, we hear of and then experience mercy and forgiveness. Jesus Christ through His love and sacrifice for us, sets the foundation of relationship. In that mercy we then experience trust and begin to return that love to Him. (1John 4:19) In that relationship we can now learn who He is, why He put us here and what we can do for others who struggle with the first two.
Psalm 130 is a prayer that speaks of all these things; trust, love and the willingness to learn. Pray this Psalm and make it your words. Let this be the relationship you seek with our Lord. And let Him ‘catch’ you, love you, teach you.
The last two lines – THE HOUND OF HEAVEN
I am He Whom thou seekest!
Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me.’