An Uncommon Pursuit

According to Roadside America, in 1923, a dog named Bobbie went with his family from Silverton, Oregon to Wolcott, Indiana. The trip was about 2,551 highway miles. Sadly, while they were in Indiana, Bobbie was chased away by some dogs at a gas station, and his family had to return home without him.

But to everyone's amazement, six months later, in February 1924, Bobbie showed back up in Silverton. Today, you can find a seventy-foot-long mural celebrating his life in his hometown.

That's what we'd call dogged perseverance, right?

Likewise, the film Vivo starts off in Cuba with Andrés Hernández, an older man, playing music with his kinkajou, Vivo, in the town plaza. Andrés had always pined for a woman named Marta Sandoval, but had never told her about his feelings.

Well, Marta has become a famous singer in Miami, and for her final show, she invites Andrés to come and join her. But before Andrés can make the trip, he passes away. That's the dramatic set up.

The rest of the movie shows us the remarkable story of how Vivo the kinkajou manages to deliver a song from Andres to Marta, arriving just moments before the show begins.

We cherish stories where someone goes on a great adventure for the sake of love.

These are the stories that Netflix features and The New York Times reviews.

But to put things in perspective, what we're going to see is that our First Love's pursuit of us is far greater. It wasn't a mere six-month journey of a few thousand miles. It isn't a rushed and dangerous trip through the Florida Everglades.

God's commitment to save us goes back to before Creation. And it required Jesus to come from heaven to earth. So let's dive in.

In Ephesians 1, Paul makes an astounding statement:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him."

When did God choose you? Before he created the first moment of light.

Let's meditate on that. That means that perhaps nearly 14 billion years ago, our Triune God intended to pursue you, to save you, to know you, to love you. That's commitment.

And throughout the Bible, God reiterates this message.

For instance, the Gospel of John, chapter 1, is deliberately echoing the language of Genesis 1. We read:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him."

In the beginning, before the light of Creation appeared, God's identity is the True Light. As the True Light of the world, he intended for his light to shine upon us. So one reason God created all things is so that he could pursue and save you.

From now on, when you're enjoying the beauty of a sunset or a flower, let it remind you that God is so good that he not only gave you Creation, but he gave you himself.