Tozer Book Club

I just started reading, in a book club through our church, The Pursuit of God by AW Tozer. I have attempted to read this book several time in my life and now I am determined to get through it. The language is older, which can make it a bit difficult to read, so I find myself reading each paragraph two or three + times just to understand what he is saying. The first chapter was really incredible.

"My soul followeth hard after Thee; Thy right hand
upholdeth me." Psalm 63:8 KJV

The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him. All the time we are pursuing Him we are already in His hand: "Thy right hand upholdeth me."
I want to follow hard after God. In some ways having been a Christian since yearly childhood I have lost that desire to follow hard after God. At times my faith has become just something I did instead of a burning passion to know my Saviour more.

Being made in His image we have within us the capacity to know Him. In our sins we lack only the power.

We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more seek Him.

If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity...We must simplify our approach to him...We must put away all effort to impress, and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without doubt God will quickly respond.
When I put Hadassah to bed at night we spend time praying and talking about God. I know what he is saying when he talks of the candor of childhood. Hadassah has that childlike faith that God wants to see in us 'adults'. What a blessing it is to have a child to show me the simplicity of seeking hard after our God.

...that in prayer we practice a further stripping down of everything, even of our theology.
To set aside theology that has been taught to me in church, at home and in Bible school and just seek after God at times can be difficult. I think we as humans cling to parameters that we set up because that is what we can control. I looked up the definition of theology "the study of God." That in itself is not bad but to seek theological beliefs before seeking to know God should be avoided.

...must see then go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.
The word legitimately strikes me. We can know God legitimately. Legitimate can also mean authentic or genuine. I want to experience God through authentic, genuine and legitimate worship.

"Because you've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play. I hold on to you for dear life, and you hold me steady as a post." Psalm 63 The Message

Please join me each Wednesday as I share with you what God is teaching me as I read through The Puruit of God. Hopefully on Thursday or Friday, after our get together, I will share what God has taught me through other Chrisitan women.