What are you hunting, chasing, running after in your life?
Some of you would say kids, cleaning, cooking, laundry, career, paying bills, etc. Many of you just wish you had a free day to chase after anything but your current circumstance.
What if I told you that you can hunt after one thing that will make all the rest quiet down in your spirit?
Follow me along this trail for a minute.
Psalm 119:137-144~Tsade
Righteous are you, O LORD, and your laws are right. The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy. My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words. Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them. Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true. Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight. Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live (NIV).
The Psalmist has penned a beautiful acrostic of the Hebrew alphabet in Psalm 119. These eight verses all begin with the Hebrew letter tsade. The ancient pictograph for this letter looks like either a man lying on his side or a trail. Tsade comes from two root words: tzod, which means “hunt, capture, or catch” and tsad, which means “side or stronghold.”
Stay with me here. 🙂
A stronghold was built on the side of a mountain as a place fortified against attack, a place of protection from which one could be defended. The letter tsade was generally associated with being on a hunt and following a trail that leads to a stronghold.
Are you getting this picture with me?
But consider the fact that tsade was also associated with a man lying on his side, which would signify need. So if we stay in a place of needing God and running after Him, He will lead us along a trail that ends in a stronghold–not an enemy stronghold, but a place of refuge from the enemy.
The world will taunt us with numerous things to chase–most of which seem important–but only one will lead to the stronghold. Only in the stronghold can you be defended from the enemy. We like to think that we can handle things on our own and defend ourselves, but, honestly, that’s a lie from Satan. We’ll just be on the wrong trail, chasing the wrong things.
And zeal for the wrong things will wear. Us. Out.
But if we, like the Psalmist, run after Jesus and His Word, He will lead us along the trail that offers a place of rest and defense from the enemy. The enemy may be chasing us. Trouble and distress may come. But we can run after a God who loves us fiercely and will hide us under His wings.
So, I ask again: What are you chasing? Are you stressed and overwhelmed from running after many things? Take five minutes out of your day to watch this video, and let your heart run after God. Stay on His trail today.