Sought-After
We, the Church, are Christ’s Bride. Therefore, much like a woman prior to official covenant union with a God-ordained spouse, we are chosen, pursued, and sought after. I’m reminded of Isaiah 62:12: “They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.”
Let’s go a little further.
In the natural, when a woman is sought after, her role is to respond in a manner that either accepts or rejects the pursuer’s interest. It is the same way for both you and me in our relationship with Christ. If you believe in your heart that Christ is Lord, that He died for your sins and was raised back to life, sending His Holy Spirit to guide and comfort you, then simply by faith you’ve responded to Christ’s pursuit and love for you in a manner that is accepting.
I’ve found that, though saved from eternal damnation, our response to Christ’s pursuit shouldn’t stop at the initial acceptance. Much like an earthly marriage, you must choose daily to respond to Christ’s pursuit. Isaiah 62:12 shows us, by calling God’s holy people “Sought After,” that we are the pursued, intentionally and continually sought after by Christ. Therefore, our response should also remain constant and intentional.
How might we respond to Christ’s daily and everlasting pursuit of our hearts?
We intentionally live lives surrendered and submitted to Him, His will, and His desire for humanity. We walk in true love, purity, and integrity. We strive to be more like Christ every day. We let our daily walk be a testament to the transformative power of Christ’s light in our lives. In all of this, we do our best. We will miss the mark from time to time, but we never throw in the towel. We repent, receive His grace, and continue following Him.
It is not through our good deeds that we respond to Christ’s pursuit. Rather, it is through hearts that are fully surrendered and postured toward pleasing Him always. From there, good deeds inevitably flow. Your deeds will not validate you before Christ; the heart from which they flow is what matters.
Like an earthly marriage, you are to respond to love with love, a love that covers all and from which everything else flows. Love is the filter that allows even hard truths to land in a way that is constructive rather than combative.
The only way we can truly respond to Christ’s love, with love, is through our obedience to Him.
John 14:15
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
Today, I challenge you to go before the Lord and ask Him: In what ways might you better respond to His daily pursuit of your heart? Where have you stopped responding to His pursuit in a manner that is accepting and in agreement with Him?
In short, where can you walk with Christ more maturely today? In what areas of your life has compromise with sin become your response instead of surrender?
