Who's Chasing You?

Something you may or may not know about me is I’m scared of critters. It doesn’t matter how big or small, cute or ugly, cuddly or spikey they are… they scare me. My family knows I don’t like to get in any body of water unless I can see my feet because I need to be on the lookout for critters.

Well, my run this morning was full of critters. Less than two-tenths of a mile from my house, a medium-sized, intimidator-of-a-dog spotted me and started charging straight towards me. Ok, maybe it wasn’t a charge, exactly. I may be overdramatizing the situation in my head. We’ll call it a trot. All I could think was, “What am I going to do when he tries to bite me?” In my head, I was already headed to the hospital to stitch up a chunk The Intimidator had taken out of my leg. But ya know what, I kept running (not making eye contact, of course), and he trotted right on by.

As I traveled further through my neighborhood, I’m certain the critters started speaking to one another. “Here comes that girl who runs real slow and is scared of us. Let’s spook her!” A squirrel scurried out of bushes and up a tree on the left side of the road. On down, a bird shot out of the ditch and up to the trees. At this point, I’m ready for a snake to slither out and sink its deadly fangs into my ankle at any moment.

The critters ended up settling down, and my heart settled with them. I got into a groove, running along and talking to Jesus. My runs seem to be the best, most intimate conversations I have with Him. I always hear from him so clearly when it’s just me, the pavement, and Him. A little more than a mile into the run, I was heading up a hill and getting distracted by the desire to walk. I was getting tired, and this hill was kicking my tail. Then I heard it… the yap of a dog not much bigger than my running shoe. This one did charge at me, and I was certain he couldn’t wait to take a bite out of me. He kept barking at me without pause, but I kept running. As I passed him, he got right behind me and ran after me, continuing that high-pitched, terrifying yap. Eventually, he stopped barking and gave up. “Whew, dodged another critter,” I thought to myself.

As I continued to run, I refocused my prayer time and was delighted over and over again as God whispered encouragement and inspiration into my soul. I talked to Him about some things I’ve been anxious about, I thanked him for the many ways He’s blessed me, I asked Him for help in the areas I fall short. I was on my way back to my house, deep in conversation with Him, when Yappy McYappster came back into view. But ya know what? I just kept praying. I stayed focused. In doing so, God reminded me of a section from a Bible Study I’m working through (Psalm 23 by Jennifer Rothschild- one of the best I’ve ever read).

In one of the recent sessions, Jennifer broke apart Psalm 23:6- “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” As I thought about being chased by critters and fearing my life (or at least the loss of a leg), I reflected on what she said about someone else who chases us. Here’s what she wrote in relation to Psalm 23:6:

"This word for follow is a very specific Hebrew word. If we don’t understand the true meaning of the word, we may misunderstand God’s action toward us. We might think follow means trail behind and never quite catch up, kind of like a teenager who doesn’t want to be seen with Mom at the mall. If God’s goodness and mercy followed us that way, it wouldn’t be very comforting or encouraging, would it? You would have to rewrite the verse, 'Surely goodness and mercy will lag behind me and never quite catch up all the days of my life.'"

Hmmm… I’ve never really thought about it that deeply. Jennifer went on to write, “Fortunately, that’s not the true meaning of the word. The Hebrew word for follow is radaph which means to pursue, chase, and attend closely upon.”

I immediately thought about who I allow to chase me in my mind: critters, fear, my sweet tooth cravings, failure, insecurities, my to-do list. Then I thought about who’s actually chasing me in reality: Jesus and his goodness and mercy. Wow! Let that soak in for a minute. The God of the Universe, The Savior of the World, The Prince of Peace is pursuing you. He’s chasing after you! He’s attending closely upon you! He bigger, more powerful, more loving, and more giving than any of those other “pests” chasing after us.

As I passed ‘Lil Mr. Yapper on the way back home, he didn’t even bark or charge me down. He just stood and watched. I even noticed I had ran back up that difficult hill I wanted to give up on without even giving it a moment’s thought. Ya know why? I was focused on God’s goodness and mercy chasing after me. I’m constantly reminded of the song “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” by Helen H. Lemmel. Although the song was written in 1922, the lyrics are still incredibly relevant.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in his wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace

For me this morning, the things (critters, fears, anxiety, distractions) of this earth grew strangely dim in the light of His goodness and mercy. What are you allowing to chase you? Is it rejection, disappointment, hurt, a big piece of cake or a coveted purchase? Turn your eyes, Friends! There’s someone better chasing after you. He’s carrying a load of gifts He wants to give you: peace, forgiveness, grace, love, acceptance, protection, provision, and so much more. Acknowledge that you’re being pursued by a loving Father that desires to bless you abundantly. Allow the things of earth to grow dim as you fix your eyes on the Light of the World.

“How great is the goodness

you have stored up for those who fear you.

You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,

blessing them before the watching world.” Psalm 31:19