The Pursuit of God {Book Review}
I just finished reading The Pursuit of God
This particular book has become a Christian classic. It was written in the 1940’s, yet it contains such fundamental truths for today.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
…put away all effort to impress…
…strip down to the essentials…
As we begin to focus upon God, the things of the spirit will take shape before our inner eyes.
A Heart for God
The man of God set his heart to exalt God above all; God accepted his intention and acted accordingly. Not perfection, but holy intention made the difference.
This quote is particularly encouraging for me. Tozer uses the examples of David and Moses and Abraham. These men were by no means perfect, but they were considered men of God. They had hearts for God.
It is encouraging to recognize that God sees the intentions of my heart and doesn’t judge me purely by my actions.
The Truth About Meekness
Toward the end of the book, Tozer addresses meekness. Most of us have visions of a person who is a doormat, but Tozer challenges us to look at it in a different way…
The meek man…knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him, and he has stopped caring.
I was challenged to accept myself for who I am and to cease pretending to be any different. In this I will find rest from the striving to please and compete with the world. It is all about God’s view of our hearts, right?
It is God’s Doing, and My Being
Rest…is not something we do; it is what comes to us when we cease to do.
This past year God has been chasing me with this message to just “be.” Tozer just reaffirmed that God does the work. We have to set our heart on God and let Him do what needs to be done inside of us.
There are no 10 steps that God requires of us. He just wants us to trust Him, trust His grace, trust that He forgives, trust that He is patient, trust that He is love.
This is why I read. I need to be encouraged that the truth hidden in my heart is real. I need to know that others struggle with the same thoughts. I need to be reminded that God is pursuing me as well!