The Beginning of the Pursuit of God

Being made in His image we have within us the capacity to know Him. In our sins we lack only the power. The moment the Spirit has quickened us to life in regeneration our whole being senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition. That is the heavenly birth without which we cannot see the Kingdom of God. It is, however, not an end but an inception, for now begins the glorious pursuit, the heart's happy exploration of the infinite riches of the Godhead. That is where we begin, I say, but where we stop no man has yet discovered, for there is in the awful and mysterious depths of the Triune God neither limit nor end.

Shoreless Ocean, who can sound Thee?
Thine own eternity is round Thee,
Majesty divine!

To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily- satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart. 

We taste Thee, O Thou Living Bread,
And long to feast upon Thee still:
We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead
And thirst our souls from Thee to fill.  Tozer The Pursuit of God (p. 14-15)

As the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis it's new life as a butterfly is not complete it is simply beginning.  The same is true for the child of God who experiences being born again, the new birth, being born from above...the journey to pursue and know and experience the awe inspiring, breath taking Triune God have only begun.  If there is no strong passionate hunger, desire, to know and pursue this great God and new life...you must ask are you alive!

   “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

The Pursuit of God

The Pursuit of God

I am rereading Tozer’s beautiful little book The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine.  Tozer was blessed with a gift of communicating penetrating truths in a concise and crystal clear way.  In his first chapter he writes, “Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people.  He waits to be wanted.”  This aligns with what God teaches us through the prophet Jeremiah.  “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)  Throughout the NT Jesus invites us to “come,” “come follow me,” “the Spirit and the Bride say come.”  Tozer closes chapter one with a prayer that resonates with my soul…I pray that it will penetrate yours.

 O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, `Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.' Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus' name, Amen.

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11)

The Pursuit of God is available online free at:

http://www.theboc.com/freestuff/awtozer/books/the_pursuit_of_god/index.html