God Is Chasing After Your Heart. Let Him Catch You!

“Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.’” Hosea 2:6-7

God’s love for us is fierce and relentless. He chases after us, longing to give us a life that is full of purpose, beauty and life-giving relationships. Unfortunately, in our humanness, we do not naturally love him with the same intensity. We spend many years doing life with God in the margins and us in the center.

The context of our focus verse today describes a woman who relentlessly chased after earthly things to satisfy the desires of her heart. In all her chasing, she forgot about the One who would fill her completely. You see, she had assigned God a room in the margins. She was doing just fine. She had everything under control. Life seemed pretty good.

So God blocked her path with thornbushes.

He knew she needed to turn back to him, but she continued on her self-redemptive path, desperately trying to stay in control of her relationships and destiny. She ran, but the way was so dark. Hope was out of reach. Joy was lost. Finally, feeling weary and worn, she remembered God. She stopped running. She stopped controlling. And she let God catch her.

He wrapped his arms around her and pullled her close. As she lingered in his embrace, his love quieted all her fears. Peace and hope entered her heart, and she felt at rest for the first time in years. She pressed herself deeper into his heart where she could hear his gentle whispers,

“I love you. I loved you even before you were born (Psalm 139). I chose you to be mine and have written a story for your life that is full of purpose, beauty and life-giving relationships (Jeremiah 29:11). But I need you to stop running. You were never meant to carry the burdens of life on your own. Give them to me. Let me heal your heart and restore you (Matthew 11:28). Will you trust me? I promise to be gentle. But know this, there is great power in my gentleness; therefore, I am able to do immeasurably more than all you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)!

Daughter, I know that once you step into your day, the demands of life might try to tear you back out of my arms, but I will never stop holding on to you. Never. Nothing can separate you from my love (Romans 8:39). So keep drawing near to me, my beloved child. I love you.”

Dear friend, your heavenly Father is chasing after your heart today. What parts of your heart are weary and worn from trying to handle on your own? Stop running and let him catch you. He is such a good Father.  Let him love on you today. 

Anna Frye is a speaker, author, television host and founder of the Chosen and Crowned tribe. She invites moms and wives to celebrate imperfect progress fueled by the grace of a perfect God. She helps women bravely talk about the messy places of life, instead of hiding shamefully under them. She believes that lasting beauty comes when women courageously surrender their ashes to God and allow him to do something mind-blowingly amazing with them. If this resonates with you, then you belong with the Chosen and Crowned tribe. Connect at www.ChosenAndCrowned.com/blog