When You Want God to Pursue You!
Welcome to the Overflow! Whether you’re an old friend or a new one, I’m glad you’re here. This is a place where faith is spilled and souls are filled. I hope you’ll pull up a chair and stay awhile.
Today I’m over at Proverbs 31 talking about the uniquely wonderful ways God woos us and pursues us. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, you can find it here. But before you go, I’d love to share a story about a pouty little girl, a game of baseball, and a Daddy who chases us down. Of course, when you’re done reading, don’t forget to enter for a chance to win my friend Nikki Koziarz’s beautiful new book “Why Her?” It’s not just a book, it’s an amazing invitation to lay down comparison and take hold of your calling to become the woman God’s created you to be. 
She was sitting slumped by the window, her nose pressed to the pane, her warm breath painting wispy clouds of fog on the glass.
It was obvious she was pouting, but I didn’t know why.
I set down the laundry basket in my hand and crossed the room.
I knelt beside my grumpy four-year-old and wrapped an arm around her sagging shoulders..
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She turned her head to meet my gaze and exhaled an exasperated sigh. “Daddy’s playing baseball with Josh.”
I peered through the smudgy glass and saw my husband standing in the freshly-cut grass with a worn baseball mitt on one hand and a small white ball in the other. Directly across from him, our six-year-old stood with a baseball glove half the size of his daddy’s and a grin the size of Wrigley Field.
“It’s not fair,” my preschooler complained as she watched her brother scurry across the grass to catch a fly ball. “Daddy never plays baseball with me.”
I stared at my grumpy girl and tried not to laugh out loud. This was the girl who slept in tutus and donned her pink plastic high heels when we went to the grocery store. The one whose favorite past time was playing “spa” and painting her nails. This was the child who accessorized every outfit with a princess crown and a purple pair of fairy wings. The one who preferred Barbies over bikes, reading over racing, and singing over sweating. This was the child who didn’t even like going to baseball games let alone playing them.
“Do you even like to play baseball?” I asked as I tried not to laugh at my pouter’s ridiculous complaint.
“Noooooo,” my daughter said with a stomp and a scowl, then rolled her baby blues as if I’d asked a ridiculous question.
She peered out the window again and watched as her brother ran around imaginary bases in the dandelion-dotted grass, my husband following in playful pursuit.
“I don’t like baseball,” she said again. “But do I love Daddy.”
Her words hung between us in a poignant pause. Then my littlest girl tapped on the pane and pointed to the frolic beyond the glass. “I just want Daddy to chase me, too!”
Suddenly the laughter rising in my throat morphed into a clumsy lump of tears. My daughter didn’t want to play catch. She wanted to be caught–caught up in her Daddy’s love.
Her childlike honesty stirred my soul and tugged me down memory lane.
I remembered sitting in Bible study as a young woman and listening to my friends share about the ways they were discovering God’s presence. He was speaking to one in visions. And wooing another through prayer. He had rescued one from a pit and healed the wounds of another. I’d believed in God for all of my life, but I was just waking up to the power of His presence and the thrill of His love. My friends were alight as they spoke of this Daddy who chased them down and captured their hearts. And like my littlest girl, I desperately wanted Him to chase me, too!
But the more I compared my experience with the Lord to the tales my friends where sharing, the more I questioned if God was pursuing me at all. He wasn’t speaking to me with dreams and visions or commanding my attention with healing and heroism. No, my Heavenly Father was capturing me in a quite, more subtle way. Morning after morning, He was meeting me in His word, His holy whispers leaping off those thin pages of ancient writ and lodging deep in my heart. When I slowed my ambitious feet long enough to linger with my Bible, I ran smack into Jesus. And I was raptured with wonder as I encountered the Living Word.
I see it clearly now–how I was an “Emmaus girl” from the start— my heart burning in the presence of the Word made Flesh. But early on, I didn’t recognize those sweet moments with my Bible and my journal as my Father’s intimate pursuit of me.
Then, one night, as I sat up in the moonlight spilling a poem of worship onto the pages of my journal, I realized that the words streaming from my pen were God’s words of love to me. He wasn’t just writing through me; He was speaking to me. The countless poems filling my journal, the words I scribbled on scraps of paper, the phrases I penned on slivers of napkins were His declarations to my heart. He was passionately pursuing me one word at a time. And I was caught; captured by His inexplicable love!
From that night on, I began to pray this simple prayer, “God, open my eyes to see your pursuit of me…”
Little by little, my prayer was answered. With the help of the Holy Spirit, my heart began to recognize the unique ways my Daddy woos me and wows me. The more I began to see His unique pursuit of me, the less I longed for my story to mimic someone else’s. I stopped expecting my Daddy’s love for me to look exactly like His love for you. I began to cherish “the chase”! Sometimes God’s love would be loud and lavish and other times it came quiet and calm. Sometimes He thrilled my soul with songs or visions. But other times He embraced me with silent streaks of sunrise or subtle shimmers of moonbeams.
Our stories may not be the same, but our Faithful Father is. And no matter how He pursues us, His love is extravagant!
“Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us — He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children …” -1 John 3:1a (THE VOICE)
The sun was sinking in the evening sky and soon our ball players would trade their ball gloves for pajamas. So, I pulled my little girl close and whispered this simple truth in her ear–“Your Daddy loves you, sooooo much….”
Then as we watched our boys race across the grass, I reminded my little girl of the countless ways her Daddy pursues her heart.
“You know how Daddy dances with you in the kitchen and spins you high up in the air?”
My daughter nodded with glee.
“And how he reads you bedtime stories in funny voices and gives you piggy back rides when your legs are tired?”
Her lips upturned into a slender pink smile.
“Well, that’s the way he’s chasing you,” I said as I planted a kiss on her tousled hair.
That pout gave way to a happy giggle, and I took my daughter’s hand and led her away from the smudgy window.
“Daddy will come in soon,” I told her. “And you better get ready,” I added with a wink. ” ’cause I’m pretty sure he’s gonna catch you!”
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If you like what you’ve found here at the Overflow, I’d love to stay connected! I hope you’ll sign up on the side bar to receive a little trickle of inspiration in your in-box now and then. Or, if you’d rather, we can stay connected on Facebook or Twitter. Of course, my favorite way to connect is the old fashioned way—face to face so I can see your smile. I’m scheduling speaking engagements for the remainder of 2018 and 2019, and I’d be delighted to bring a message of encouragement to a ministry event near you! (Contact me at overflow@aliciabruxvoort.net if you’d like to know more).
Also, today, I’m delighted to be giving away my dear friend, Nicole Koziarz’s new book, “Why Her?” If you’d like to enter to win a free copy, just leave us a comment and tell us about one way God has pursued you lately.
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God has been pursuing me about my relationships with family – husband and daughter specifically – and pointing out to me that faith is essential, but how we act out our faith is important to let our light shine to the world around us. A big area I am dealing with is forgiveness, and I am struggling to be able to forgive, though I am absolutely certain that is what God is asking me to do!
I can feel God pursuing me in HIs glorious sunsets.
Thank you for the opportunity to receive the book.
I needed this today!
God has answered so many prayers for me. My wonderful father in law has been in the hospital with pneumonia and was very sick for almost a month but now God is answering our prayers. He may come home tomorrow and hopefully continue to improve in his health and strength. With God he will continue to get better. God has never failed me. He has always answered my prayer better than what I could ever imagine. Your sister in Christ BT FROG
God pursues me in a thousand little ways – from the pink of a sunrise, the sound of a bird chirping and the perfect timing of a verse from His word. I needed this gentle reminder to be more aware of the ways He is wooing me. It is easy to get caught up in the busyness of our day-to-day lives and not enjoy the extravagant love He’s pouring out to us.
I feel God pursuing me each day … I feel His presence, His leading, His providence, and His protection as He guides me through the tough battles in my workplace. He shows me how to draw near to Him through taking a few minutes throughout the day to read Scripture on my phone (online Bible). Every “seemingly unrelated” word I read, whether in Scripture or in daily devotionals such as this one in P31 e-mails and blogs, truly IS related to the circumstances of any given day. God is soooo good, soooo faithful, and soooo present. He pursues me and leads me safely through the day’s landmines.
When I read today’s P31 devotional and clicked to Alicia’s blog post above, I began singing the song “God’s Great Dance Floor” in my head! He and I will dance throughout today, and every day!
Thanks for these posts … I really needed to read them today! And I would love a copy of the book!
Blessings to you all !
God is definitely pursuing me. I have noticed more of nature now thru Him. Your article has mad me more aware of Him now, would love to have the book you are offering!
Since losing my son in October, God has answered many questions by guiding me toward the light of a new church home. He has also made me struggle by forcing me to stand on my own two feet. Finally at the age of 67, pretty much alone and totally broke, He has forced me to realize that I don’t need things. I have everything I NEED, but not much more. I would love to win this book because I can’t afford to buy it.
God pursues me through His Word & praise & worship songs. I love to sing with our worship team at church! Many times, I feel like God is wrapping His loving arms around me as I sing His praises!
God often reveals his love for me in the love my daughter shows me in her words of encouragement, her hugs, her just-because phone calls, her little notes.
God pursues me in my daily devotions and Bible reading. He pursues me in my prayer life. He pursues me every single day in some form or fashion and I’m so glad He does.
God has been pursuing me through ministries like Prov31 and in my daily bible readings with First5. It is in the quiet times of reflection and meditation that I feel Him most.
God pursues in many different ways, letting me and you, know of His presence in our daily lives.
But the one that stands out the most is when He let me know when I was waking up in the recovery room at the hospital, that He was there.
My eyes were almost blinded by the bright light, as I woke up with a nurse standing by me. Then I looked up at the ceiling and saw the brightest light imaginable and feeling love, calmness and a peace that could only come from God. I just basted in the Light and tried to tell the nurse about the Light coming from the uppermost part of the room. She didn’t understand and would talk to the nurse nearby. I was in Love, God’s Love, His Light and His peace. Nothing else filled my mind. All the time I was in the recovery room, He was there in the Light with me. I did not like to leave, but it was time when I recovered enough to be moved.
I have to relate that I never had pain, my mind was clear and I didn’t need.help to dress. The nurse complained to me, “but I’m supposed to help you!”
God found me and healed me…with His love.
I am growing and becoming a new person with God in my life. I don’t always have patience but I am learning to pursue him and let him have control.
I’ve struggled with anger towards God for a while. Most of it IS due to comparison. I’ve released this load and burden to Him and I’m learning to leave it in His hands! This would help in many ways! 😂📖
I’ve really struggled with my depression and anxiety the last couple weeks. In the midst of darkness, God constantly pursues me through a song at the perfect moment, a word from a loving friend, or just a gentle whisper in my soul. I’m so thankful for his relentless love.
Our Bible Study leader passed away very suddenly. She was only 34 years old. It was a shock to us all. God has prompted me to continue leading the group in her honor. I am not a leader, I usually just follow. I am pursuing God’s Word more and feel like he is calling me to grow spiritually and help others as well.
God is pursuing me through my women’s Bible study.
Loved today’s devotional!
This sounds like a great book and study!!
I believe God pursues me most through my daily devotions.
He lets me curl up in His loving arms to sleep each night when I need His love and protection from anxious thoughts. He gives me sweet rest in His arms.
I loved the blog today, the mssg is so powerful and always speak to me! Oh to be pursued by God!
God is pursuing me to be obedient to his timing to deliver on all of his years of promises to me and my elderly father
Thank you for a beautiful reminder and for singling out the fact that we do not have to compete for His love (compare ourselves with others) but that He pursues us individually. I think remembering this truth would totally keep our hearts content and settled continuously.
I think His way is with me is sometimes through scripture or even devotionals, but most often it is thru particular symbols in nature (when I am out)- I just have to keep my eyes attentive, but you are sooo right- He knows exactly what I would be on the lookout for and how I can find it- and He places it exactly there- which makes my heart rejoice every single time and I hope to never take these encounters with Him for granted. 🙂
I have been struggling with transitioning from working to homeschooling my son. The past few days He has begun to pour out his grace and helping me to make some much needed changes. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
He is pursuing me by reminding me that the Holy Spirit will patiently and persistently guide my steps, as long as I continue trusting in Him and obeying what I hear from Him.
Thank you so much for writing and sharing this. Oh, my! Thank you.
…the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in your I inner man. Bless you.
My dear sweet Carla, Thank you for your honesty and transparency. I take my thoughts captive and that helps me hear and know the peace and presence of our Heavenly Father. Don’t listen to the lies in our own heads! He is for us and praise God there is nothing we can do to make Him love us any less… And so my dear, that He would grantyoy,according to
He lead me here.
God is pursuing me by reminding me in subtle ways to turn the difficult things in my life over to him. It was a message in church yesterday, in books that I have been reading and on Proverbs 31 messages. Thank you for those!
God is pursing me by meeting me every day during this difficult time, giving me peace and his love….
I so love this devotional. I never thought about how God pursues us. To be honest, it is something that I am struggling with. I have been a believer all my life, but I know that I have truly felt the Lord pursuing me. Lately, I am not even sure He is with me or around me or hearing me. I have been doing bible studies, reading and listening to His Word, but never seem to get the quickening or peace.
I never thought about how God pursues us in different ways before until reading today’s devotional. I love it! It is so clear to see the many special ways God pursues me through the beauty of His creation, special relationships I have the opportunity of being apart of, and music that is rich in truth and touches my soul!
My Father pursues me in the early morning as I spend time with Him before my children wake up. He always leads me to the books and Scriptures that my heart needs most. As I sit in the quiet chill, sipping a perfect cup of coffee (likely the only cup I’ll get to drink HOT) He whispers gently His unconditional love for me.
I feel God reaching out to me in my daily struggles through timely messages or specific blogs 😉 that remind my of His TRUTHS amidst all of the trials and hardships.
Your devotion was a sweet reminder that my Lord is always pursuing me. He knows right where I am, with all my doubts and fears in this life. He continues to show me loudly that He is there, caring for me, through His very Words of love, through the words of a song, through the majesty of His creation or through the words of those He sends to encourage me in my faith. Thank you.
I feel God is pursuing me by leading me to start the 40 day prayer challenge of “Draw the Circle” by Mark Batterson. I’m also studying with a group “What Happens When Women Say Yes to God” by Lysa Terkheurst, and am enjoying it very much! I have LOVED both of these devotions you wrote, here and for the P31 today – such sweet stories!!! Thank you, Alicia!!! God Bless!
Recently, I was asked if it is necessary to kneel when praying to God. The question came from someone in pursuit of forming a bond and relationship with God. Our Father came knocking at the door of her heart and she wanted to open it and welcome Him. However, she was concerned with the “how” to answer the knock.
I assured her that she could respond in any way she liked that there are times like talking with a close friend you can show up in your comfy clothes, or it attending a formal gala you adorne in your finest attire. Most importantly is to answer. Respond to His pursuit.
She answered His knock and enjoys her time with Him. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to welcome another heart into a relationship with Our Father through prayer.
God is pursuing me through the Finding I Am bible study I am doing. Thanks for the giveaway
Right now, God is pursuing me through the book of Psalms. He highlights verses, teaching me daily how relevant His Word is to my life.
I’ve had a difficult time feeling presued
by my Gracious God until recently.. I think I’ve still been so much grief that I wasn’t looking for him.
Last week, I was walking at a nearby trail with an adjacent creek. I saw a lovely Great Blue Herron , not once but 3 times. I felt God was loving on me and I recognized that.
I love your devotion at prob 31 today. I would love to read the new book.
God is pursuing me lately with his Faithfulness, in every stressful situation He has shown up, it is such a wonderful reminder of His love for me.
God pursues me in a thousand little ways – through the majestically painted skies at sunset, with the words of scripture spoken by a friend at exactly the time God knew I needed them, through the warbling of the birds outside my window each morning, and more. I know there are probably many other ways that God pursues me, as well. I pray that as I draw nearer to him I will learn to recognize those ways as well.
I had been feeling like I have been drowning with no light in sight. My husband is 37, battling a terminal brain cancer, I am working full time, raising 3 teenage boys, and starting to feel things will never slow down. I felt like I was going through the motions of life everyday with no feeling and no joy. One day, I was so overwhelmed I cried in my room for what seemed like hours, and when the tears stopped and I laid there in silence, I felt a little nudge to pick up a devotional given to me from a stranger the day before. The first thing I read was written for me, it couldn’t have been more obvious if it had been titled To Jessica. Since that day, God has been pursuing me through words and scripture, holding me up and keeps me going with a little more joy and hope in my walk!!
Thank you for this reminder that our God pursues each of us individually! He speaks to me through beauty of nature and song. He also speaks to me when I take time to write in my journal. I love my heavenly Father and I know He loves me! God bless you and your ministry.
I am not & have not been the most honest & faithful Christian. I am working on changing but instant in my own way alot. Just last night, my son (5 yeats) said to me, “Mommy, God loves us more than anything. Sis you know that? And God loves us even when we are naughty. Did you know that?” Melt my heart! I needed that reminder. That my Father loves me. He is waiting for me to dance with him. I need to quit standing in my own way. Happy Monday! I hope you all have a blessed week!
This is a beautiful thought — how does my Abba dance with me each day. Sometimes it’s the sound of the sweet bird singing. Sometimes it’s a magnificent pink sky. It might be a timely and perfect card from a precious Friend. Or the beauty of opening His Word and hearing the truth in the depths of my heart. Thank you for prompting me to be more aware!
I shared on Facebook with a group of individuals the devotion with the following comment:
He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything I could ask or imagine in terms of His demonstrating His love for me = last night, He led me back to an e-mail that I sent on Monday, March 16, 2015. In it, I was blessed through a blog written by Alicia Bruxvoort. This morning on Monday, March 15, 2018, He whisper to go to the Proverbs 31 website and when I click to read devotions, His best, this devotion written by Alicia Bruxvoort was waiting for me.
Thank You, Lord, Your love is amazing, steady and unchanging. WOW, Your surprises keep blessing me.
After sharing the above, I went back to the devotion where I saw what else was included:
“How has God pursued you personally? When have you known without a doubt that He loves you immeasurably?”
When I saw those words in the previous two sentences, I experienced another demonstration of His love.
But God was not finished yet = I had to go back to the devotion again and when I did, I saw another Only God Moment, I noticed the title had included the word, “Invitation”. Last week, God taught me a lesson about prayer that it was not about information because God knows everything but an invitation for Him to answer my prayer.
God is pursuing me right now by showing me the truths in his word that speaks about how he loves me regardless.
Enjoyed the devotional for today. I love how God uses our children to give examples of his love for us. I know God seeks after my heart using every day encounters with my daughter. I’m definitely in a growing and learning season as God continues to mold me.
Thank you for sharing these stories with us. I was encouraging to read them this morning and be reminded that God has unique ways to pursue each of us! I feel like God pursues my heart in my quiet time each day or while I am folding laundry.
I also needed to be reminded of this truth.
Would love to read this book.
Thank you for the great story and devotion. I feel God is pursuing me with my marriage. I am on the cusp of leaving a 12 year old marriage. God keeps putting little joys in front of me every day. I am so thankful.
I feel God’s love when He gives me insights into ways to address problems that seem insurmountable. I especially love it when He gives me clarity and insight on something I’m struggling with at just the right time or when the message, comfort, or insight is reinforced and I read or hear it multiple times.
I so needed to be reminded of this truth! Thank you!
Hi, I feel like God is pursuing me, by telling me to go after my calling! I really enjoyed the devotional, it spoke to my heart! Would love to read te book!
Dealing with chronic illness is a newer battle for me…and in the midst of the discomfort, fatigue and pain, I feel his loving care. I hear it in His sweet whispers of tender mercy and his warm encouragement to rest and give myself grace. I feel His pursuit of me in the quiet moments late at night or in the pause of a late morning coffee & devotion time….I feel pleasure in His pursuit to spend time with me….in His wisdom giving downloads that reveal answers my prayers…in His warm embraces when I can’t keep my eyes open another minute. He truly is the ever pursing, ever ‘chasing me Daddy’ of Psalm 23 in His promise that, “Goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life!!” I’m so very blessed!!!
He has answered all my prayers and my little girl dream of living in a yellow house with my yellow chair where I sip coffee and enjoy time with Him!! 🙂