Pondering Pursuit

“The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
but He loves the one who pursues righteousness.”

-Proverbs 15:9

What am I pursuing? Such an inquiry demands another one be made: what does it mean to pursue? The word for pursue in this passage is the Hebrew verb radaph. It’s not just any verb, it is a hunting verb. Radaph denotes running after and attending closely. The Lord loves the one who hunts down righteousness. Undoubtedly, this requires intention, determination, and persistence. Do those words describe the race I’m running? Can my walk with the Lord be marked by a relentless perusal of righteousness? Time after time, we are told to walk carefully and to whom we are to direct our steps (see Deuteronomy 11:22, Joshua 22:5, 1 Kings 8:61, Micah 6:8, Romans 6:4, Galatians 5:16, Ephesians 4:1-3, 1 John 2:6, and others) To walk somewhere is to make a conscientious decision to go in that direction. To hunt righteousness is a relentless pursuit, one that cannot be undertaken halfheartedly or haphazardly. My steps can only go in two directions: toward righteousness, or away from it. Either I walk in the light, or I walk in the dark. There is no twilight nor middle ground in this hunt. One cannot persist in such a strenuous task without purpose or reason. Why flee wickedness? Because the Lord detests it. The word detest is “tow`ebah.” That means wickedness is an abomination to the Lord, it is disgusting to Him, and an abhorrence to Him. I seek holiness because He is holy. To seek His presence is to seek humility and holiness. A relationship with the holy God and living a holy life are inseparable. I pursue hard because I love passionately the One who pursued me first. Radaph. That same word is found in Psalm 23:6. His goodness and faithful love are literally hunting me down every single day of my life. Therefore, I pursue because I am pursued. However, it’s not as simple as merely walking. I have to know where I am going and how I am going to get there. I have to know Him. I must fix my eyes, attentions, and affections on the only One who is truly worthy of them. Such a task demands careful attendance. No sooner do I find my feet on one path, I languish to discover them naturally inclining and deviating to another. I must think carefully about where my feet are headed. Psalm 119:59-60 says “I thought about my ways and turned my steps back to Your decrees. I hurried, not hesitating to keep Your commands.” In this present moment, where am I? What is my heart hunting? Daily, I must remind myself to seek hard and pursue diligently. Beseeching El Gibbor to give me the ability to do so, I must walk worthy of the gospel. My heart will incline and it will pursue of its own accord. The object of its inclination and of its pursuit makes all the difference in the World.

“That He may incline our hearts toward Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes, and His judgments, which He commanded our ancestors.”

-1 Kings 8:58