He Does Not Wait

Reading: Acts 8

"Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord..." Acts 9:1

Examination:

Saul was a deeply religious man. The intentions of his plans were to protect the God he loved. His actions, on the other hand, were dead wrong. Sin is anything that we think, do, or say that is counter to God's will. Saul was having people who were pursuing the will of God put to death. It does not get anymore wrong than that.

God did not wait on Saul to get his life straight before He offered him another path. In the midst of Saul's spewing rage of hatred and sin, God sent him a chance to change his name, his purpose and his destiny.

Application:

God pursues me. Regardless of what I think or what I am pursuing it is encouraging to think that God never stops pursuing me. My behavior has consequences but one of those consequences has nothing to do with God's desire for me to experience a deeper level of connection with Him.

Prayer:

Father I can't comprehend Your heart. I am often guilty of filtering my view of Your heart through the lens of a human heart. When I do that Your heart for me becomes conditional on my performance and behavior. Nothing could be further from the true nature of Your pursuit of me.

I ask that I enter the secret places of Your heart. Help my explore the depths of Your love for me. Pour out of my heart an expression of Your love to others. There is nothing on this earth to pursue besides You. I pray that I experience You in a way today that redefines in my mind what it means to be loved by You.