The Hound of Heaven

I took a break from writing.  It seemed I had become bereft of content.  You see, the tag line for this blog (I’m sure you all remember) was until a few minutes ago, “helping people pursue God when no one is watching.”  One question has been nagging me: “Who pursues?”  If anything, I find myself running from God when no one is watching, as if I can feel the hot breath of a hound chasing me down.  Certainly I at times turn to God and search for His wisdom and comfort, but that is only because he has already caught up to me.

I admit now that it is difficult to write about things which we by nature do not do.  You quickly run out of content.  But if you write about what God continually has done, is doing, and will do, you will never lack for things to say.

The Hound of Heaven is the title of a lengthy poem.  It begins:

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;

I fled Him, down the arches of the years;

I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways

Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears

I hid from Him, and under running laughter.

Up vistaed hopes I sped;

And shot, precipitated,

Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears,

From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.

But with unhurrying chase,

And unperturbèd pace,

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,

They beat — and a voice beat

More instant than the Feet –

“All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.”

Isn’t it true that we all run from God at times in this manner?  We must know that He is pursuing.  Otherwise, why would we run?  In the end, the hound always gets us to turn and say with the last lines of the poem:

“Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,

I am He Whom thou seekest !

The aim of my future posts will be to help you develop a deeper trust in God.  This trust begins with a simple recognition:  The Hound of Heaven is on your trail.  He’s not out to hurt you.  He wants to transform you.