“Do you realize that all the wealth of his extravagant kindness is meant to melt your heart and lead you into repentance? Romans 2:4 TPT
The Hebrew word “radap” means to be aggressively pursued. In Psalm 23: 6 it refers to mercy and goodness following after us, chasing after us and consuming us. In Deuteronomy 1:44, the same Hebrew word radap is used to describe the fierce Amorites chasing down the Israelites, comparing the aggressor to bees. If you have ever been pursued by a swarm of bees, you can appreciate the analogy here. Bees are relentless!
The love God has for us is a love that cannot be grasped by natural understanding. To know the love of God, we must receive a revelation of it and encounter it in the presence of God. Apostle Paul prayed that people would be able to comprehend and experience the vastness of this great love, a love that transcends any kind of human love. The Greeks used the word “agape” to describe it and set it apart as distinctive. God’s kind of love is a love that is unconditional, pure, and never ends. It’s a love that relentlessly pursues us like a swarm of bees, fierce and unstoppable, never quitting. His aim is not to harm us but to overtake us with His love and grace.
As we mature in God, we grow in our confidence that we are deeply loved and relentlessly pursued by God. As we grow spiritually, we learn to revel in the love of God, rather than question it. Those who have struggled with a mindset that we must work to earn the approval of God may struggle with embracing the love of God, especially in times when we feel we don’t deserve it. God knew what He was getting into when He called our name, and He’s patient with us, helping us to grow in grace.
When we comprehend the love of God, we also understand His love for others is a relentless pursuit. When we pray for others, we pray from a loving confidence that the Father wants to overtake them with His love as well. The Father does not give up on us, and the Father does not give up on those for whom we are praying. God is working!
Giving into being overtaken by the relentless love of God is what brings us to surrender. Choosing fall into God’s arms happens when we encounter the kindness of agape love. His love overtakes our pride, our strength, our ambitions. His love overtakes our weakness, our need, our exhaustion. There is nothing like abandoning ourselves to His pursuit, falling back and letting Him catch us with acceptance, peace, and joy!
Application: If you have been striving to be or do something on your own, stop, and let God overtake you with His Person and His Power.