29, March, 2022Posted by :Reena Shrestha(5)Comments

All of us are born with a deep longing inside of us to be  loved, cared for  and pursued. Knowing we are special to someone brings so much warmth and security deep within. Even though our parents, spouse, family members and friends love us and care for us, they can only love us so much or so far due to their human limitations. This limitation of human love always keeps us longing for more.  

Nevertheless, the love of Jesus our Lord is limitless and never ending.   John 3:16,17 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Jesus left all the pleasures of heaven and came to this earth to show us how much He loves us by laying down His own life as a living sacrifice so that you and I could be His children today.

  In John chapter  4 of the scripture we read about the encounter of a Samaritan woman with Jesus . He reaches out to her at the heat of the day  in  the well of Jacob where she had come to draw some water. Jesus, being a Jew, asks  her for water to drink . This was a clear indication to her that she was  accepted by Him even though she was a samaritan who were considered outcasts  those days. This woman was living in rejection and condemnation from society due to her marital status as she was married to four husbands already and separated. The one with whom she was living at the moment was not even her husband. Jesus acknowledging this brokenness and emptiness in her soul reaches out to her and offers her a living water that would  never make her thirsty  again , He says,  “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst…”(vs 13-14) .  At this her spiritual eyes open and she acknowledges Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Jesus fills her soul with the living water  of the Holy Spirit that completely heals, transforms and fills her empty soul. 

This woman who was empty, wounded and despised earlier turns out to be the first Evangelist in that region to share the love and truth of  Jesus as  the only Messiah. 

Today if your soul is grieving and hurt, please know that Jesus is pursuing  you even through this blog post and wants to fill your soul  with the  living water that will never make you thirsty again.  

1 John 1:3 says, See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!   

How do we know God pursues us?

Acknowledge it:

Almost every single time I seek God  in His Word or devotionals, listen to the sermons , worship and pray, I have experienced our loving Lord  speaking to my situation and comforting my heart. I’m sure this is the testimony of  many of  you  as well .That  is the Holy Spirit God comforting  and  assuring us that He is with us in the situation we are facing. 

Isaiah 49:15, 16 says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget,  I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands ;your walls are ever before me” 

. Isaiah 43:2 says, When you pass through the deep  waters,I will be with you;and when you pass through the rivers,they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.For I am the Lord your God,  the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;  

 We are all familiar with  the famous story in the Bible about the three men of God, Shadrach. Messach Abednego. These men of God were thrown into a blazing furnace when they refused the decree of the king to worship the image of gold. But Jesus walks with them in the fire that was heated up seven times hotter than usual, and the blazing furnace was not able to harm them at all .  In fact verse 27 of Daniel chapter 3 says, “ They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them”. Hallelujah!! What an awesome God we serve!

This is the faithfulness of God our savior who has promised to never leave nor forsake us.  God never leaves us during our hard times. He walks with us through those pain and  hardships  and rescues us safely and without any harm. 

Lately,  my very close family members were walking through some fiery trials. It was very difficult to see them navigating this difficult season. However, watching how Jesus was  constantly comforting them through His Word, visions, encouraging words, and love from people  was such a comforting evidence of Jesus walking with them so closely in the  fire .  And it delights my heart to share with you that Jesus did faithfully bring them out of the fire safe and sound. 

Yes, our God is loving, true and faithful even today.  

Recollect His wonders in the past : Reminding myself of the way God made a way in my wilderness in the past  and brought my  dead hopes back to life helps me stay in faith and encourage myself  even today  when I see Him silent to some of my current  situations. In fact, during the season of silence , He is preparing us  for greater breakthroughs and blessings so that Christ can be glorified more.  Recently, God has been reminding me that since I inherit the blessings God had commanded to Abraham(Galatians 3:14,29),  I also have to walk through some waiting seasons just like my father in faith, Abraham did. 

Let me share with you another instance in the good book about how the delayed breakthrough brought greater glory to the name of Jesus. Even though Jesus loved everyone while He was on the earth,  John 11:5 specifically  mentions that He  loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Jesus loved this family so dearly. However, when Jesus heard  that Lazarus was seriously ill, He did not  go to heal him immediately  . In fact Jesus tarries  till the day Lazarus died and was in the grave.It was already the fourth day after Lazarus was buried when Jesus comes to visit Mary and Martha. When Jesus sees them running to Him and crying with Him , the Bible mentions that Jesus weeps with them too. Not because of the remorse that He was not there at the right time to heal Lazarus, but because Jesus sensed the amount of pain and  grief these sisters were feeling at the moment. That is the compassionate love of Jesus for you and me whenever we are broken and grieving even though He will bring the miraculous breakthrough at  His appointed time. When Jesus comes to the grave where Lazarus was laid, He gives thanks to the Father and commands Lazarus to come out of the grave and Lazarus comes out of the grave immediately .  This mighty miracle performed by  Jesus in this family whom He loved so dearly glorifies Him more than any other miracles He had  performed so far . Dear ones, if you are walking through the season where God seems to be silent , please know that it is because you are so precious and dearly loved . He loves you so much that He  desires to show His greater glory through your breakthrough . The season of trials are the ones when He is closer to us than ever. Psalms 34:18 says,  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.His delays are not His denials. Please don’t forget that Jesus is weeping with you when you weep even though He sees your  breakthrough coming. 

This journey called life is difficult and challenging at times. Jesus Himself said, “in this world you will have troubles, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”.However,when we are walking with our Lord  we are always more than a conqueror. No matter what battles,hurt,  hardships or temptations you may be facing today , know that the lover of your soul  is with you and He will never give up on you . 

Thank you all for taking time to read my blog. I believe it has encouraged and comforted your heart. God bless you all. Shalom!