When I was home at Christmas I purchased a visual Bible at the airport. Being someone who thinks mostly in pictures I have really enjoyed learning more about the culture and looking at maps that show you where the stories of the Bible happened today and having a better overview and context of a book before I start reading it.
Lately I've been reading in the Old Testament, a lot in Genesis and some of Deuteronomy and I have been OVERWHELMED by the way that God pursue's us! Us, meaning human beings, the one's God has created. Even though we keep screwing up, God keeps warning us and we still are disobedient and don't listen, yet he keeps coming back to us, conversing with us, trying to help us out so that He can be in good relationship with us. Which ultimately leads to God humbling himself and sending His Son to Earth as a baby, to speak to us once again, and try to help us to understand His love for us. Until the ultimate sacrifice happens when Jesus, being perfect, is sacrificed on a cross taking on all, and I mean ALL the sin of the world (and dang, that is a lot!).
He gets sent to hell totally separated from God, but rises again and ascends into heaven. Ultimately breaking the Old covenant that was made, which God couldn't reneg on because God is perfect and Holy and Just and can't contradict Himself, so he couldn't just change the commitment He made with us. So he made this NEW covenant through Jesus, allowing ALL humans to believe and follow Him to come back into right relationship with the Good, kind, loving and faithful God for ETERNITY (meaning forever), who knows all, but only ASKS us to follow Him, doesn't demand it. And the reason He asks is because He cares about us and wants what is best for us!
The Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) made the human race out of love, we screwed up and didn't listen to what He asked of us by eating an apple, therefore opening our eyes to evil. And ever since God has been PURSUING US, for thousands of years, to bring us back into right relationship with Himself, not forcing us, but giving us the CHOICE...WoW! That's what I call ultimate pursuit!!
