The Quest

I have recently enjoyed re-reading some beautiful old classics by several great people of faith from ages past.  One of my favorites that I have been delving into is The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer.  It is not a book that can be read quickly, nor lightly.  It requires a slow, gradual read which encourages one to pause and reflect.

Tozer was born in 1897 and he published this classic gem in 1948. To some modern-day readers, the prose may feel a bit provincial and formal, yet I believe the insights gleaned ring as true today as when they were first written.

I have been enraptured with a quote from the book that my mind has pondered for days: “To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love.” What a lovely way to think about our life of faith.

The dictionary defines the word “pursuit” as “an effort to secure or attain; a quest.” Many people pursue God and find him quickly, others take years to come to know Him. But unlike the pursuit of a fox in a hunt, or for a position within a career path, when our quest for God is complete, it becomes a new beginning rather than an ending. Most quests end once they are achieved; the pursuit of God continues for a lifetime.

When we come to know God and experience the richness and fulness of His grace in our life, it is only natural that we long for more. More of His compassion, understanding and forgiveness. More of the unconditional love that He lavishes upon us. Once we find God, we never want to cease our pursuit of Him. Perhaps therefore Tozer refers to this unique, wondrous pursuit as “the soul’s paradox of love.”

In Philippians 3:10, the Apostle Paul writes, “ I want to know Christ–yes, to know Him–and the power of His resurrection.” For years this verse baffled me. I couldn’t figure out what Paul meant because I understood that he had been a believer for years and knew Christ well when he penned these words. He had given his entire life to carry the gospel to the ends of the known world at the time, so why would he claim that he “wanted to know” Christ?

But Tozer helped illuminate this for me by his concept of pursuit. Paul must have discovered that the more He pursued the mysteries of God, the more he longed to continue His pursuit. Paul’s heart, mind and soul perhaps expanded with newfound knowledge and power — the kind that only comes from knowing God. His ongoing quest for knowing God more intimately is perhaps what fueled and propelled him as he lived out his life of faith.

It’s the same for us today. The more we experience God, the greater we desire to pursue Him even further. To know His abundance and freedom and grace.