Did you know that...

God is out to get you? Sounds shocking, but I really think that there are many of us out there that in some little way believe this. Let me share my story...

I began to believe that God was out to get me as a little child. You see I had an adult in my life that turned out to be emotionally and what I would call "religiously" abusive. This person used God against me. I was told numerous times that if I didn't do what this person wanted that God would come and punish me. Or maybe He would hurt someone that I loved. I was even told once that someone I loved would die if I didn't do what was required. In my mind, God was someone who constantly had His eye on me...trying to catch me doing wrong so that He could punish. I was scared to death to make a mistake. He was out to get me.

Eight years ago, I set up boundaries and removed that abusive person from my life. Then it took me 8 years to realize that the abuser had been right all along! God was out to get me! What I didn't realize is that He was out to get me, just not in the way I thought. He was out to get me...to pursue me with His love at all cost. He was always there...with His eye on me...not to punish, but to protect and care for me. You see the thing is, He is crazy about me. He is crazy about you! How crazy? Crazy enough to take my punishment for MY sins. Crazy enough to love me when I didn't love Him. Crazy enough to leave the luxury of heaven to live in a confining world that put a real damper on who He really is. Crazy enough to put Himself through the greatest agony known to man so that He could have a relationship with me. Crazy enough to give up His throne in heaven for a cross on earth. Crazy enough to take all the initiative to make things right between us when really it was my responsibility to make things right!

So this is the God that is out to get us....This is how He pursues us.
He has written our names on His hands.... Isaiah 49:15-16
He is distressed when we are distressed... Isaiah 63:9
He answers us before we even cry out to Him...Isaiah 65:24
He refuses to give us up...Hosea 11:8
He delights in us... Zephaniah 3:17
He longs to love on us....Isaiah 30:18
Even though He can walk on water, He walks through the waters with us...Isaiah 43:1-3
His love is unmeasurable...Psalms 103:10-13

May we never forget that God is truly out to get us!