God take us back, the place we began
The simple pursuit of nothing but You
//
[Because] nothing and no one comes close to You
Nothing could ever come close
Nothing and no one; it’s You and You only
Nothing could ever come close
“Simple Pursuit,” Passion
We sing many wonderful songs at The Austin Stone. “No Longer Slaves,” for instance, reminds me that I’m no longer a slave to fear but a child of God. Lately though, “Simple Pursuit” tugs at something in me.
Perhaps the cause of the sensation lies in the song’s simplicity. The lyrics are straightforward, and the melody is more-or-less acoustic. The song features few, if any, frills or swells of sound. The song is simple, echoing the title and pushing toward a simple, singular pursuit of God and God alone.
Then again, the tug could arise from a desire for innocence. The person singing asks to return to an earlier place, a place where “it’s You and You only.” When I sing the words, I seek that place, as well as think of David and his psalm of repentance (Psalm 51). He, too, longs for a restoration of the innocence and joy found in simple pursuit.
I also think of Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seeds. If the singer is one of those seeds, it is the seed weary of being strangled by this life and its concerns. The seed wants to be free. It longs for the simple pursuit.
A third reason for the tugging could exist: the chorus. The words remind my heart that no one comes close to God. He is the best treasure and wholly worthy of single-minded pursuit. When I sing the chorus, I remember that truth.
Something else occurs, too, in singing the chorus. I experience the conviction that I haven’t pursued God as I ought. God should be my only pursuit, but I often chase other things either at the expense of him or in addition to him. Other pursuits distract me; I inevitably lose my way. Because of that, I sing the chorus again and again. I need the words. I need to remind and exhort myself, as well as the people around me, to return to the place of simple pursuit.
Image: Aditya (Creative Commons)