Relentless

Sunday morning retuning: We were reminded of the forgiveness Jesus offers to “50” and “500” sinners.  (See Luke 7:36-50)  We have been forgiven much, but do we love much?

As I sat on my couch last night listening to the wind howl outside one word came to mind: relentless.  This “super”-storm sounded different than most other in that the wind did not seem to stop or let up.  It sounded like the blower that inflates our boys waterslide each summer, constantly blowing, just MUCH BIGGER!

That got me thinking about what God might want to be speaking to me through this.  [Do you do that?  When a thought comes to mind, take it back to God and ask what He is saying, that it.]  Don’t get me wrong, I do not do that all the time, but when I do, it’s always good.

I felt first of all…no wait, let me tell you something else about this concept before I give you my first impression.  I did a quick word study of relentless and learned it only appears in the NIV 84 one time, where it refers to God’s enemies.  In The Message, it is used a number of times and most often refers to God’s righteous anger.  Only in Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the Temple is it used to describe His love.  Yet, that is the sense that comes to mind for me when I think of this word.

Now for my thoughts.  I though about David, you know the “man after God’s own heart”, that is, who pursued God’s heart.  He passionately went after God, yet not without fail.  Just like us.  In response to His relentless love for us, we should love and pursue God relentlessly, without any sign of slowing or stopping.  How often we fail.  I think of the line sand Sunday from Shine into Our Night, “We’ve seen Your glory Lord, but looked away.”  Why do we do that?

We asked forgiveness on Sunday for “our obsession with creating a life of constant pleasure.”  How true.  Instead of creating a life filled with the Glory of our Creator, we strive to fill it with creature comforts.  How do we get our eyes off of ourselves and onto Him and his purposes?  We pray, relentlessly.

How do we pray?  Here’s an idea.  Open Up the Heavens.  Can you feel their passion as they sing?  [Worship team members, singers and players alike, we could take some notes from their facial expression and their engagement in singing their praise.]

This kind of prayer will broaden your perspective.  It will get your eyes off of the struggles and problems right before you.  It will remind you of how lofty and great is the hope we have in Christ.  What we see before us is not all there this, but only a shadow.  The grave was not the end for our Master and will not be the end for us either.  This song reminds of that in typical progressive bluegrass fashion.  [When she shared this with me Sarah was wondering when we might do this at NMC.  I replied, “When we have a banjo player.”]

Jesus, help us be relentless in our pursuit of You.  Have mercy on those who are caught in the relentless pounding of Hurricane Sandy.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.  

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy