Chase What Matters

[hope]

A few months ago I was on a real spiritual low, actually a low of life in general. I'd come through months of trials and had more questions than answers. I was trying desperately to sieve through what is gospel and what is not, clasping onto the ragged remainders of my faith while trying to work out who God is and how He feels about me. I'd come through a period of spiritual, emotional and physical suffering and I was trying to see God in those circumstances.

One night I was driving back from a prayer meeting, where prophetically gifted Christians prayed over me and released words of love and encouragement. I'd come through quite a traumatic time and the words were hard to swallow, in fact I could almost tangibly feel them bouncing off my spirit. The words came back and tried again to penetrate the protective casing of my heart, but relentlessly my heart fought back chanting "you don't know me... you don't know what I've been through, you don't know what I did, you don't know what happened to me... you can't understand".

One of the men praying over me declared "You are a God chaser, you have always been a God chaser a truth seeker". Pretty bold statement for a guy who had only just met me an hour before. But it was true, even before I really walked out my faith, I described myself as someone who wanted and sought truth, I'd even used those words before - a truth seeker.

As I was driving home that night a million things swirled through my mind, painful memories of things I didn't understand and flash feelings of hurt and abandonment. Discouragement started to seep back in through the cracks of my growing insecurity concerning His love for me. Remembering the man's words, I angrily spoke out to the Lord "Well Lord, I'm done chasing. I chased you and I got hurt real bad and now I've learned my lesson, my chasing days are over".

Literally moments later I drove past a billboard for Chase Bank. The words screamed down at me "CHASE WHAT MATTERS". I had to smile, a tearful smile, He'd caught me off guard. No sooner had a spoken than He'd gotten the last word in.



He was speaking and straining my ear to hear I sensed Him say, "I see you. I see your pain and I do understand how your feeling. But Chase me. I know everything about You, I created You and I know your thoughts before you think them. Chase me. I love you, and I have a plan for you, there are things you don't see yet. Chase me because I chase you, I preempt you because I know your days, your hours, your moments, you are very precious in my eyes. Chase me because I AM LOVE, don't ever stop Chasing what matters."

[shushy]

Yes he sure loves us to be passionate about him. And rightly so too.
Ty hope.

[Deleted]

some years ago I was in a real low spot, wondering if the Lord would ever speak to my heart again and I wasn't in a position to seek for fellowship. As I was reading my Bible, some nice thoughts came to my mind. Later that day, my folks called to tell me what they'd heard at convention that morning. And yes, what they'd heard was exactly what I had been thinking. and from exactly the scripture I had been reading. That moment assured me that God was speaking to me and it was a great encouragement.

[shushy]

I love it when God confirms his word by one or more witness's.

[pauper]

I appreciate your post, Hope. I can relate to your struggles. When I faced surgery as a teenager, my first reaction was anger toward God. He had every right to reject me for that, but instead I saw His mercy and realized that God wasn't my enemy. I needed His help to get me through my experience. I began to grow close to Him.

I learned more about God and His son when I went away to college, where I began reading the Bible and had friends who were an example and an encouragement to me. But, I found myself surrounded by people who were worshiping a much different god after I graduated and went out into the world. It was a time of confusion for me...a time when I began to doubt the God I'd come to know and doubt my relationship with Him.

When I hit a low and felt desperate to be right with God, I found the F&W fellowship. I got to know God better and better through His word and and prayer, and felt encouraged by others. But, I later found myself in a fellowship where I was again hearing many of the convoluted beliefs I heard in the mainstream churches and in the world. I started going through almost the same struggles I experienced twenty years earlier -- only this time my faith in God was firmer.

After much searching, I think I've now found a congregation that loves the Lord and is not ashamed of His word. I was baptized today. I was very nervous about it, but I had felt a leading that grew stronger every week. I am so afraid of being deceived again; I want to be certain it is God leading me -- not people and not my own heart.

If we seek (chase) God with all our heart, we will find Him true and trustworthy in every matter. May He find in us people who are true to Him and trustworthy, even during the lows of life.

[hangingout]

Sept 3, 2010 3:29:02 GMT -5 hope said:

A few months ago I was on a real spiritual low, actually a low of life in general. I'd come through months of trials and had more questions than answers. I was trying desperately to sieve through what is gospel and what is not, clasping onto the ragged remainders of my faith while trying to work out who God is and how He feels about me. I'd come through a period of spiritual, emotional and physical suffering and I was trying to see God in those circumstances.

One night I was driving back from a prayer meeting, where prophetically gifted Christians prayed over me and released words of love and encouragement. I'd come through quite a traumatic time and the words were hard to swallow, in fact I could almost tangibly feel them bouncing off my spirit. The words came back and tried again to penetrate the protective casing of my heart, but relentlessly my heart fought back chanting "you don't know me... you don't know what I've been through, you don't know what I did, you don't know what happened to me... you can't understand".

One of the men praying over me declared "You are a God chaser, you have always been a God chaser a truth seeker". Pretty bold statement for a guy who had only just met me an hour before. But it was true, even before I really walked out my faith, I described myself as someone who wanted and sought truth, I'd even used those words before - a truth seeker.

As I was driving home that night a million things swirled through my mind, painful memories of things I didn't understand and flash feelings of hurt and abandonment. Discouragement started to seep back in through the cracks of my growing insecurity concerning His love for me. Remembering the man's words, I angrily spoke out to the Lord "Well Lord, I'm done chasing. I chased you and I got hurt real bad and now I've learned my lesson, my chasing days are over".

Literally moments later I drove past a billboard for Chase Bank. The words screamed down at me "CHASE WHAT MATTERS". I had to smile, a tearful smile, He'd caught me off guard. No sooner had a spoken than He'd gotten the last word in.



He was speaking and straining my ear to hear I sensed Him say, "I see you. I see your pain and I do understand how your feeling. But Chase me. I know everything about You, I created You and I know your thoughts before you think them. Chase me. I love you, and I have a plan for you, there are things you don't see yet. Chase me because I chase you, I preempt you because I know your days, your hours, your moments, you are very precious in my eyes. Chase me because I AM LOVE, don't ever stop Chasing what matters."

Thanks for sharing.... Uplifting.  Just like God to reach you that way.  "Chase what matters."  The Chase Company tried to apply that to theirselves, but God had the "last word".  God uses all kinds of things, ways.  Reminds me of "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with ALL your heart."Jer29:13
(my favorite, one of my favorite Bible verses ever)