You Can run, but God Will Chase You

Jud Wilhite's book Pursued (audio version but also available in print version) tells the story of Hosea and Gomer from the book in the Bible Hosea, but it does much more than that. Listening to the book author read his own book seems to add an extra dimension to the story.

God tells (well more like demands) Hosea to marry Gomer, a prostitute, and Wilhite pics the story up there and follows the many trials and tribulations that both Hosea and Gomer endure.

It takes the author a long time to tell the story (5 ½ hours of listening time), but the reader won't be disappointed as the author uses the life of Gomer to illustrate our relationship with God. Gomer gave up many times, but God did not falter even once.

The title of the book will give the reader an idea of what that relationship might be. God pursues us with persistence of will, and yet we make Him chase us for many years.

The author uses both biblical and modern day real-life examples to show us that God has a continuous, loving pursuit for each of us. Now isn't that a comforting thought? His examples and explanations bring the idea of undeserved grace into clear focus.

If we are honest with ourselves, we can all see parallels to Gomer and Hosea and we travel through life, but after we listening to the book, many of us will change we way we view God—and it will be a way that brings peace and joy to our hearts. The book takes the focus from us pursing God to God's pursuit of us. We sinful humans have a good chance for failure, but God cannot fail. Aren't you glad he is pursuing you?

For many of us, God was a being who pursued us but did so to punish us. What a relief to find that, yes, he is pursuing us, but so he can offer us unconditional love.

The book is filled with one overriding theme—love, love love. The story and the book is just one more example how God chooses the broken to show how strong his love is.