Persistence

"With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments." Psalm 119:10

Good morning, friends!

My husband, the Cat Whisperer, with the pest Reese Cup

As I have already mentioned in this blog, we are cat people here in my home.  We have had several cats since we started ministering here in France, and currently have five cats, a mother and her four (not so little) kittens.

My husband is the cat whisperer.  I have never seen anyone have such a way with cats.  Each of my children have a cat that they say is "their" cat, but everyone in the house knows that the cats really belong to Daddy.  Ever heard the expression, "you can't herd cats?" Well, my husband can.  Every day as he heads for a cup of coffee, there are five cats trailing along behind him, hoping for a drop of milk in their dish.

One of our cats is a lap cat.  Not one of these cute, snuggly lap cats, but a pest.  Not only does he want your lap, he wants your constant petting and attention while he is in your lap.

Every morning, as I sit in my chair reading my Bible, or writing this blog, I have this little man in my lap, and he is not content to sit and let me type.  Rub, rub, rub, purr, purr, purr, until finally he settles down and lets me get to the task at hand.

There are times when I really need to get something done and I dump him off my lap, and no matter how many times I get rid of him, he keeps coming back.  I have literally brushed him off my lap, and as soon as his feet hit the floor, he is right back on, claiming my legs for his own.

If you can say nothing else about our cat, he is very persistent.  He does everything in his power to seek out our attention, spend time with us, and make his presence known.

If only I sought out my God in the same way.

I know that my God loves me, that He loves to spend time with me in fellowship with Him.  He loves to hear me when I pray.  He loves to answer prayer.  He loves my company.  He desires me to stay close to Him.

God is not the one who strays from me, but I do stray from Him.

The Bible has many verses that talk about seeking God dilligently and persistently.  Here are some that came to mind this morning:

"But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

"But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29)

"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." (Proverbs 8:17)

"The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him." (Lamentations 3:25)

With so many promises offered to those who faithfully seek out God and His will in their lives, why do my feet stray from Him, and the path He wants me to take?

Pride.  I think that I know which direction I should go, better than the one who made me, sustains me, and takes care of my every need.

Our cats are a constant reminder to me of God's care, provision and love.  My husband takes care of every one of their physical needs, loves them, encourages them, corrects them, and then loves on them some more.  The result?  The cats respond with kitty affection, desiring his attention, and placing themselves directly in the path (usually under his feet) of blessing.  These cats know that they are loved, and they persistently and consistently seek us out to enjoy a close relationship with us.

May God remind me today to seek Him dilligently, to desire fellowship with Him, and to run to Him with all the affection my heart can contain to spend time with Him today.