In Pursuit of the Master
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they exclaimed, “Everyone is looking for you” (Mark 1:35-3 NIV).
In our text, we are told that Jesus, Our Lord, woke up early to go to a solitary place and pray. He knew the importance of rising early and communing with His Father so that He could know the will of He who sent Him. The Psalmist David also knew how important it is to rise up early and seek the face of the Lord and that is why in Psalm 63:1 he says, “O God you are my God early will I seek you". Friend, there is something about rising early to seek the Lord’s face and to commit the day into His hands. It gives you a confidence and an assurance that whatever may come your way, He has it in control.
The text goes on to tell us that when Simon and the other disciples woke up and realized that Jesus was not with them, they went in search of Him. You see Friend, the disciples knew what it was like to be without Jesus. They knew that having Him is profitable. They saw Him as their “covering”. They had come to know Him as the one who could deliver them from every situation. They had witnessed His miraculous works; heal the sick, feed the hungry, deliver the possessed, still the storm, etc. I put it to you that when they woke up and Jesus was nowhere to be found, they panicked because they could not imagine being without Him and that is why they quickly went in search of Him.
The Amplified Bible says “…And Simon [Peter] and those who were with Him followed Him [pursuing Him eagerly and hunting Him out]”. When you pursue a thing, you are running with only one thing in mind, to catch it. There is a zeal, a passion, a determination to catch that thing. Further, when a hunter goes hunting, he does not intend to come back empty-handed. His aim is to return with his prey. That was the state of mind the disciples were in. They intended to find the Lord and they did. Did He not promise that those who seek Him shall find Him (Matthew 7:7).
Friend, this year, 2006, the Lord wants us to seek Him, pursue Him and hunt Him out like never before. His desire is that we have a renewed zeal and passion for the things of God this year. He requires us to pray more and spend more time in His Word and as we do so, He will meet us at the point of our need. May we not be found wanting in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.
Prayer:
Lord, this 2006, your desire is to bless your children and use them like never before. You are calling us to serve you with a greater zeal and passion than we did before. Lord, we purpose to obey you. We purpose to read the Word and pray more than we have ever done before. We purpose to seize every opportunity that comes our way to testify to your goodness and your faithfulness. Lord we know that left to us we would fail so we ask you for strength as we seek to obey your will in Jesus precious Name. We thank you in advance for what you will do. Amen and Amen.
