Daily Devotional
Are You Pursuing God?
“And He [the Angel of the Lord] said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’ But he [Jacob] said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me!’”
Genesis 32:26
March 25, 2022
Ponder This
Have you ever watched wrestlers? My eldest son was a wrestler. I have two grandsons who are wrestlers. Do you know what muscle is most important to a wrestler? His thighs. His legs. That’s where his strength is. If you take away his leg, he can’t begin to wrestle. The Angel of the Lord took away Jacob’s strength (v. 25). How was he going to wrestle anymore? And the Angel (the preincarnate Christ) said: “Let Me go.” But Jacob replied: “I will not let you go, not until you bless me.” Now if this was the Lord, why did He say: “Let Me go?” It was because the Lord didn’t want him to let go. You may be thinking, “That doesn’t make sense.” Oh, yes, it does.
When studying the Bible, you find out that many times God will act as if He wants to get away from us when He wants us to pursue Him with all our hearts. Do you remember on the Road to Emmaus when two disciples were going there after the resurrection, and Jesus appeared in His resurrected body? He walked with them, and their hearts were burning within them. Luke said Jesus made as if He would go further, and they said, “Oh no, don’t. Spend the night with us here,” and He did. (Read Luke 24:28-29.) In our moments of greatest uncertainty or difficulty, God calls us to pursue Him with all our hearts.
- When was a time you felt like you were pursuing God?
- How do times of struggle or difficulty lead you to pursue Him further?
Practice This
Consider one thing you need to do to pursue God. Take action today.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
