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In the gospel God says, “I see you where you are and I’m coming after you.”

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This is the whole redemptive story of scripture – a God who sees the distress of His people and moves towards them, not away from them. Hovering over His people like a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night – God was close, but out there. Engulfing the tabernacle with the glory of His presence – God was closer, but in there. Wrapping Himself in the flesh of humanity as the Immanuel, God who is with us – God was even closer, right here. To now, sending His Spirit, not to hover over us, be enclosed to a small space near us or even walk along beside us – but now to live inside us – God is now as close as He can get, in here.

This is the redemptive story of God – He is constantly, joyfully and unwaveringly moving closer to His people – at His great cost and for our great gain.

His pursuit of us sets the precedent for all of His dealings with us – at no time is God working to push us further from Him, but in all things He is creating space for us to be close to Him.

FINALLY AND FULLY

The lengths He is willing to go on our behalf were made abundantly evident on the Cross – He would give everything so that we could be with Him. His constant pursuit of us is the root of our hope – that a day is coming when we will finally and fully be home with Him where we belong, forever.

But scripture says that right now we wait – expectantly, eagerly and hopefully wait – for the day we will finally and fully be adopted and brought home. We have already tasted a piece of what’s to come but deeply long for the whole: “...we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits – we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Now in this hope we were saved…” (Romans 8:23-24)

One of the most beautiful things about the gospel is not just what it accomplishes for us in the end, but also the process God has been willing to go through in order to bring that end about. From the beginning of time He has been executing His redemptive plan of pursuit – going to great lengths in order to bring us home with Him.

That’s the entire story of Scripture – God saying, “I see you where you are and I’m coming after you!”

We eagerly await the final outcome of that.

BEAUTIFUL AND VIVID REFLECTIONS

Likewise, one of the most beautiful things about foster care and adoption is not just what might be brought about through it in the end, but also the process many are willing to go through in order to bring that end about. The time, the money, the paperwork, the emotional investment, the tears, the prayers, the weeks and months and sometimes years of waiting, anticipating, hoping – all these things put the gospel on display with great vividness and clarity. They represent the pursuit – the joy of what is “already” and the longing for what is to come.

If you are in the process of pursuit now and find yourself with little to do but wait, or fill out more forms, raise more money, or attend more training classes, know that the gospel is made evident in your pursuit – although the end has not yet come, the great lengths you are going to in order to bring that end about are beautiful and vivid reflections of the redemptive pursuit of God towards us. They powerfully echo the declaration, “I see you where you are and I’m coming after you!”

God is not just concerned about the outcome of our pursuit in foster care and adoption – He is also acutely tuned into the pursuit itself – because His pursuit of us is vividly put on display through it.

So keep doing the next thing, even if the next thing is not the final thing - but is simply a necessary part of the process of moving you closer to what’s to come. Your faithfulness in the process of pursuit is beautiful and inspiring. No doubt God sees it, understands it, relates to it and is honored through it.

 

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