"The Great Hunter"

The Great Hunter: God’s Pursuit of Our Hearts

"Father, we thank You for Your Word this morning." That’s how I want to begin—by thanking God for His faithfulness, His goodness, and for the people He continually draws to Himself. Every time we come to hear from Him, He shows up ready to give us exactly what we need to take the next step forward.

And this morning, I want to talk to you about the Great Hunter.

Deer Season vs. Gospel Season

Here in Oklahoma, it’s deer hunting season. I know because my husband’s phone is full of trail camera pictures and our den is covered in camo. (And no, I’m not complaining—he’s actually a better housekeeper than I am!)

But while hunters are out looking for their next trophy, I’ve been thinking about another kind of hunter. The Great Hunter I’m talking about isn’t dressed in camouflage. He’s clothed in grace and mercy. His weapon isn’t a bow and arrow—it’s the Gospel. And the arrow He shoots is love.

Love that pierces the heart, penetrates the soul, and brings healing—not death.

The Great Hunter doesn’t seek trophies; He seeks relationships. He doesn’t kill or condemn; He restores, reconciles, and empowers. And in case you didn’t know—it’s always gospel season.

The Gospel in Luke 4: Good News to the Broken

In Luke 4, Jesus stands in the synagogue, opens the scroll of Isaiah, and declares:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then it says, “He closed the book.”

Jesus closed the book, sat down, and said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

He was declaring that the Good News wasn’t a theory—it was Him. The gospel isn’t a demand placed on us. It’s God’s pursuit of us. Grace coming after us, not against us.

Love That Hunts You Down

John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son". But don’t stop there—John 3:17 completes the thought:

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

Salvation isn’t about escaping punishment—it’s about being restored to relationship. From the Garden of Eden to the Cross, God has always been moving toward us, not away from us. When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid. God still came walking in the garden, calling, “Where are you?”

He’s been calling ever since.

The Pursuing Grace of Jesus

Throughout Scripture, we see this Great Hunter at work:

• Thomas — Locked behind walls of doubt, Jesus steps through those walls and says, “Peace be with you.” He meets Thomas right where he is and invites him to believe. Grace goes where fear has built walls.

• The Lost Sheep (Luke 15) — The shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one. The gospel doesn’t wait for you to come home—it comes looking for you.

• Saul on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9) — In the middle of persecution, Jesus interrupts Saul’s destruction with mercy. Grace invades hostility and turns it into purpose.

• Zacchaeus in the Sycamore Tree (Luke 19) — Jesus looks up and says, “Zacchaeus, come down! I’m going to your house today." That story isn’t about Zacchaeus’s search for Jesus—it’s about Jesus’s search for Zacchaeus.

• The Woman at the Well (John 4) — Jesus “had to go through Samaria.” Others avoided that place, but grace doesn’t avoid the broken—it runs straight toward them.

The Gospel That Keeps Going

Philippians 1:6 says, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion." The gospel doesn’t just start your story—it keeps pursuing you every single day. Hebrews 12 calls Jesus “the author and finisher of our faith.”

He doesn’t just begin the work—He perfects it.

The Great Hunter’s Heart

God isn’t sitting in a tree stand waiting to judge the next sinner that walks by. He's the pursuer—the One who climbs down from heaven, walks into our mess, and says, “I just want to be with you.”

Salvation isn’t about man’s search for God. It’s about God’s search for man.

He meets us in our doubts like Thomas, in our failures like Peter, and in our resistance like Saul. And He whispers the same truth every time:

“I am for you. I am not against you. I will pursue you until you see who you are in Me.”

Seeing Through His Eyes

Why do we talk about these things? Because truth brings freedom. It changes how you see God, yourself, and others.

When you start to see through God’s corrective lenses—through His glasses—you begin to walk in peace, healing, and restoration.

And that’s what He’s after: wholeness in you, in your relationships, and in your heart.

A Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for pursuing us with relentless love. Lift away the distorted lenses we’ve been looking through, and let us see You—and others—clearly. Thank You for the freedom that comes from seeing rightly. Thank You for healing our hearts, minds, and bodies as You transform us from the inside out.

You are the Great Hunter—the One who chases us down with mercy and grace. We yield to Your love. Amen.