The Pursuit of God: Thirsty Hearts Seeking Divine Presence

God formed humans for Himself, to enjoy His presence. Restlessness stems from being away from Him. The pursuit of God leads to divine communion and eternal joy.

### The Journey of Restoring the Lost Relationship with God
* 🌍 A. W. Tozer emphasizes that God created humans for Himself, and their hearts are restless until they find **rest in Him**.
* 🚪 The whole work of God in redemption aims to **undo the tragic effects of the revolt against Him** and to **restore the right and eternal relationship with Him**.
* 🚶 The first step of this interior journey of the soul back to the presence of God is often felt as a **yearning for His presence**.
* 🎚 In the Old Testament tabernacle, the returning sinner symbolically moved from the outer court through veils into the Holy of Holies, representing the **journey into the divine presence**.
* 🕊 When the veil of the Holy of Holies was torn at the crucifixion of Jesus, it opened the way for **every worshipper to enter into the divine presence**.
* 🌱 "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a **single step**."
* 💔 "Our woes began when God was forced out of His central shrine and **things were allowed to enter**."
* 💡 "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**."

### The Practice of the Presence of God: Enjoying God's Constant Presence in Daily Life
* 🔍 "God wills that we should **push on into His presence** and live our whole life there, to be known to us in **conscious experience**."
* 🕊 "The central fact of Christianity is **God Himself waiting for His redeemed children to push in to conscious awareness of His presence**."
* 🔥 "The presence of God is the **beating heart of spiritual living**, and the **greatest fact** of the tabernacle and Christianity."
* 👤 "Behind the veil is God Himself, the Holy Trinity, waiting to **reveal Himself in ravishing fullness** to the **humble of soul** and the **pure in heart**."
* "The veil of the self-life, consisting of self-sins like **self-righteousness** and **self-love**, must be **crucified** to experience the **presence of God**."
* 🌌 "The Christian life begins with belief in the invisible God, and the spiritual faculties given by God enable us to **know Him as certainly as material things**."
* 🌟 "God is always present everywhere, seeking to **reveal Himself to us**, and the saints throughout history shared the vital quality of **spiritual receptivity**."

### A.W. Tozer on Faith, the Speaking God, and Restoring the Creator-Creature Relation
* ✝ Tozer emphasizes that faith is the **gaze of the heart at God**, a **continuous act of looking at Jesus**, and the **least self-regarding of virtues**.
* 🔊 God is continuously articulate, with His Word in the Bible being the **expression of His will spoken into the structure of all things**.
* 🙏 True salvation is the restoration of a **right relationship between man and his Creator**, a bringing back to normal of the **Creator-creature relationship**.

### Embracing a God-Centered Life According to A.W. Tozer
* 🙏 A God-centered life is crucial, with God as the **fixed center against which everything is measured**.
* 🤝 "We are right when and only when we stand in a **right position relative to God**."
* ❌ Many Christians struggle due to their unwillingness to accept God as He is, often trying to **modify Him according to their preferences**.
* 😇 "We must begin with God, **behind all, above all, before all**."
* 🧘 The pursuit of God involves bringing every aspect of our personality into conformity with His, making every act of life an **act of worship**.
* 🌟 "Every man, woman, and child belongs to God and exists by **His pleasure**."
* 🙌 Meekness is key to inheriting internal peace, involving a **true understanding of oneself** and **accepting God's evaluation**.
* 🌟 "The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own **inferiority**."
* 🌐 The sacred-secular antithesis is a common hindrance to internal peace, but every act of life can be a **sacrament when done for God's glory**.
* 🙏 "For such a man, living itself will be **sacramental**, and the whole world a **sanctuary**."

The Pursuit of God | A.W. Tozer | Free Christian Audiobook

Aneko Press - Christian Audiobooks

Tozer's book expresses a growing hunger for a deeper relationship with God within conservative Christianity.

The author criticizes the lack of true spiritual worship and the focus on correct religious opinions without genuine experience.

Tozer emphasizes the need for a personal, intimate knowledge of God rather than mere theological knowledge or religious activities.

God is the source of the impulse to pursue Him, but humans must actively reciprocate to experience Him.

The modern interpretation of faith and religious conversion has led to a lack of genuine hunger for God.

The pursuit of God is a joyous exploration of His infinite riches, as seen in the intense desires of past spiritual figures like Moses, David, and Paul.

The Longing for God: A Call to Simplicity and Desire

The author criticizes the idea that once God is found, there is no need to seek Him further, emphasizing the importance of a deep, experiential longing for God.

He encourages a return to simplicity in our approach to God, stripping away the distractions of religious externals and focusing on a pure desire for Him.

The text emphasizes the idea of possessing nothing, highlighting the blessedness of being poor in spirit and the potential ruin that comes from allowing worldly things to take over the space meant for God in the human heart.

The constant desire to possess things is seen as a deep and fierce passion rooted in the human heart, leading to a tyranny of possessions.

The only way to overcome this possessiveness is through self-denial and surrender, as exemplified by the principle of taking up the cross.

The story of Abraham and Isaac serves as a dramatic illustration of the surrendered life, demonstrating the need to overcome the love of possessions through faith and obedience.

Abraham was chosen for special treatment by the Lord, surrendering everything, including his beloved son.

Through this experience, he learned the spiritual secret of possessing nothing and the harm of clinging to material things.

The path of renunciation and giving up all to the Lord is necessary to know God intimately and is a test that everyone will face.

The Purpose of Man and the Presence of God

God created humans to glorify and enjoy Him, but they have strayed from His presence due to sin, causing a constant longing to return to Him.

The Old Testament tabernacle and the New Testament emphasize the need to be in God's presence, which is lacking in modern Christianity.

The ultimate goal is for humans to experience and enjoy the presence of the triune God, which has the power to transform their lives.

The Ineffable Love of God and the Burning Devotion of Man

God is described as perfect and omniscient, with a nature beyond human comprehension, particularly symbolized by fire throughout history.

Frederick Faber's intense love for God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is highlighted through his passionate writings and worship.

The concept of "breaking hearts" is introduced as a symbol of those who have truly experienced the presence of God and have the spiritual authority to speak of it.

The Veil of Self and the Experience of God

The inner veil of self-life is a hindrance to spiritual progress and the knowledge of God, consisting of self-sins like self-righteousness and self-love.

The removal of this veil can only be achieved through the work of God in a spiritual experience, involving confession, forsaking, and crucifixion of the self-life.

The personal acquaintance with God is possible and is emphasized in the clear scriptural doctrine, contrasting the cloudy vagueness of the common faith in God.

The Bible assumes that people can know God as immediately and certainly as they know physical things.

The belief is that we have spiritual faculties to know God, but unbelief and lack of faith can cause insensitivity to spiritual things.

The writer emphasizes that God and the spiritual world are real, and faith is the key to experiencing their reality.

The visible world often overshadows the reality of the spiritual world, leading to a neglect of the unseen.

The Christian life is rooted in belief in the invisible and calls for a shift of focus from the seen to the unseen.

The divine immanence emphasizes that God is always present, regardless of location, and this truth is essential in Christian experience.

The Divine Presence and the Receptivity of Man

God is the uncaused cause of matter, mind, and law, and is always present, seeking to reveal Himself to humanity.

The manifestation of God's presence is dependent on our awareness and surrender to Him, leading to a more radiant spiritual life.

The difference in experiencing God's presence lies in the spiritual receptivity of each individual, as seen in the lives of various saints throughout history.

The Power of God's Voice and the Need for Spiritual Receptivity

God's voice is continuously speaking to His creation, expressing His thoughts and filling the world with His presence.

The Bible supports the idea that God is forever seeking to communicate with us, and we have the ability to know Him as our receptivity to Him increases.

The written word of God is confined, but His voice is alive and free, filling the world with living potentiality and being the most powerful force in nature.

The spoken word of God is emphasized as the source of power in the Bible, preceding its written word.

The universal voice of God is portrayed as constantly seeking a response from humanity, regardless of their familiarity with the Bible.

The text explores how the presence of God in the world may influence human experiences and creative endeavors, suggesting that the response to the divine voice contributes to the beauty and virtue in the world.

The voice of God is friendly and not to be feared, emphasizing the importance of listening to Him in silence.

The text highlights the vital role of faith in pleasing God and experiencing spiritual life, as outlined in the Bible.

The reader is encouraged to deeply consider the presence of faith in their own life, given its crucial significance in pursuing a relationship with God.

Faith is often defined as believing in God's promises and experiencing practical outcomes.

The biblical definition of faith is more about its operation than its essence, emphasizing that it is a gift from God.

Faith is illustrated as a continuous gaze of the heart at God, directing attention to Jesus and forming a habit of soul.

Faith is the act of looking outward to God, aligning our lives with His will.

This simple yet vital act is accessible to everyone, regardless of time, place, or vocation.

While traditional spiritual practices have their value, the foundational habit of beholding God gives meaning to all other aspects of the Christian life.

The Key to Spiritual Life and Fulfillment

Private religion must be purified for social religion to be perfected, leading to a stronger body as its members become healthier.

True repentance and a full commitment to God are essential for a new level of spiritual life.

The restoration of the Creator-creature relationship is crucial for a satisfactory spiritual life, involving a conscious and experienced change, and a voluntary exalting of God to His proper station.

Exalting God above all else requires making daily choices that prioritize Him over money, personal ambition, and human love.

This decision brings simplicity to the Christian life and restores order.

The desire for honor from others can hinder belief and lead to religious self-righteousness, but choosing to exalt God opens the way for His exceeding kindness and divine acceptance.

The human race is described in contrast to the virtues of the Beatitudes, with pride, arrogance, and resentment prevailing in the world.

Jesus' call to meekness offers a release from the heavy burden of pride and self-love, providing a rest that comes from accepting God's estimate of one's life.

The meek man is not afflicted with inferiority but has stopped caring about how the world sees him, finding contentment in allowing God to set his worth.

Meekness brings soul rest and freedom from the burden of pretense, allowing people to be their true selves without the fear of judgment or comparison.

Jesus's meekness offers relief from the constant desire to appear different from what we really are, providing a sense of peace and rest.

The division of life into sacred and secular creates a sense of unease and frustration, but finding unity in our actions, whether spiritual or ordinary, brings a deeper sense of internal peace.

Living a Unified Life in the Christian Faith

The sacred-secular antithesis has no basis in the New Testament, and a true understanding of Christian truth can free believers from this dilemma.

The idea that every act of a believer's life can be as sacred as religious rituals is integral to the sacred revelation and can turn the whole life into a sacrament.

Escaping from the sacred-secular psychology requires practicing living for the glory of God, challenging long-held habits, and exercising aggressive faith in offering all acts to God.

Israel was initially taught the holiness of God through various rituals and practices in the Old Testament.

The coming of Christ marked a shift towards spiritual worship and the abandonment of old distinctions.

Tozer, a well-known Christian author, emphasized the sacramental quality of everyday living and the importance of a deeper relationship with God.

His life reflected a non-materialistic lifestyle and a commitment to helping those in need.