The Pursuit of God is a classic, devotional book written by A.W. Tozer which was selected by Cape Town Biblical College for devotional writing contest of 2023. The insightful reflection and elaboration by Jeandré van Zyl was unanimously selected as the winning essay and is published hereunder:

For someone who is not very fond of reading, this book really exceeded my expectations. The Pursuit of God is like binge-watching your favourite television series. Once you start, you are hooked and there is no escape. It started to spread like a hunger and thirst that begged to be fulfilled with the Word of God. It has also spanked an urge to seek the Presence of the Lord and wanting to get to know Him for who He really is. As soon as I set myself upon the pursuit of God, He put me to the test. The Pursuit of God is not theology of the head, but of the heart.

The ten chapters are heart searching and as I turned each page, I felt the nearness of God growing stronger. Taking that into account, I knew that the work of God was in progress. While reading the book, time ceased to exist. I became eager for spiritual realities and came to the conclusion that it is not trifling words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and I yearned to meet Him personally. The shocking truth about the whole transaction of religious conversion that has been made mechanical and spiritless, made me realise that we, as Christians, are in real danger due to the fact that Christ may merely be “received” without creating any special love for Him nor hunger or thirst after Him. We respond to this matter with little or no effort which in effect causes us to lose sight of God.

Despite the fact that people seek wonders and scientific explanations, I have come to know that God communicates with us through the avenues of our minds, our wills and our emotions. Every time that I now look in the mirror, I know that I am made in His image. Whilst being made in His image, we have within us the desire to know him and the book has offered me the perfect opportunity to get to know Him, but “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”. Statements made regarding the desire to know God are substantiated with the Word by providing evidence from the Word of God by including exemplary following witnesses of Yahweh. Just like Paul who confessed that the main desire of his life was his burning desire after Christ. The book stoked my burning heart, and desire for God, which made me delve deeper into the Word.

An acute desire became present in my life, and I could hear the door of my heart being hailed louder and louder. It was Jesus who waited to be wanted and who wanted to enter my heart. ”In this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all”, Tozer stated and the book fades the thick darkness from the wise and softens the heart to childish approach, because it taught me that I must simplify my approach to Him – this also offered me a chance of simplicity in my spiritual growth.
When taking Abraham into account, Tozer uses his faith to stress his point about placing God first in one’s life. I learned the unbelievable truth about losing everything and what I unintentionally gained in the process, is this truth: “One lost all, but actually found it in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever”.

The book gives a clear understanding of sin and gave me guidance as to how to cast out one of the most reprehensible sins of the human heart which made all my heartaches and physical ills disappear, motivated eternal life, and encouraged me to leave the probational “things” behind. For me, it also served as a guide to destroy the foe that had a hold over me by taking me to the lonely valleys to obtain deeper knowledge of God which kept me wrestling under the stars to sacrifice everything for God. My wounded and protesting heart gained closure through God’s promises and the spiritual secret which was revealed to me, and it taught me to place my trust in God, for Matthew 16:25 states, “Whosoever will lose for my sake shall find”. After fully understanding the Scripture, it made me “rich” possessing nothing.
The book taught me a valuable lesson: To plan my life according to God’s priorities and not to meet life with possessions. Also, that following Jesus is not cheap, and it challenges you to sell yourself fully to Jesus, rather than to remain in the market for the enemy to overtake you.
“Who is this within the veil who dwells in fiery manifestations?” After I set eyes on the questions caught in black and white, it left me pondering. Luckily the book gives closure that we are in God and God is in us which enlightened the instant cure for most of our religious ills and a clear understanding of Yahweh.

Tozer’s book focuses on why mankind was chiefly created; he explores what hinders Christians from entering the presence of God and expresses the norm of most Christians and non-Christians which reveals a shocking truth. He cleans the clouded lenses for us to see God shining around us. With his five senses he engages this real world and draws us into the Word of God, analysing every aspect and doesn’t use imagination to state the facts – he uses faith which creates nothing and only focuses on that which is already there!
The book serves as a way to understand God through a spiritual perspective by planting seeds and forming life-deepened roots. It can also metaphorically be seen as a “fitness programme” that has strengthened my faith, because faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting to focus on God. Tozer says that faith is defined functionally, not philosophically and he concludes that faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God. Through the development of my individual faith, it has helped with the understanding of the unity of the body of Christ.

Acts like prayer, reading the Bible, singing and church attendance became present in my life and are apparently seen as sacred acts that flow directly from faith that shows me another world which opens before me the possibility of making every act of my life a contribution to the glory of God. It has given me the motivation to turn my life into a sacramental life to make people holy and build-up the body of Christ. Gifts differ overall in the body of Christ, but “Without faith it is impossible to please God”, and therefore I now cherish this most precious gift from God.

I have gained a vital quality called spiritual receptivity. John 1:1 clearly states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. Through that I came to know that the Bible is the inevitable outcome of God’s continuous speech with which He fills the world, and his original Word was and is enough.
“He spoke to nothing, and it became something” – an inspirational quote from the book that brought me to my knees to adore rather than explain. “I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking”. After I became receptive to Tozer’s thoughts, I started to think differently about the Living Bible, what it actually teaches, and it developed my sensitivity to “hear” God’s voice more clearly and regularly.
Throughout my journey, a new set of eyes developed within me enabling me to be looking at God while outwardly seeing the scenes of the passing world. I learned that I could see God from anywhere, not only the church, if my mind is set to love and obey Him. Also, that I am closer to fellow believers in heart than I could ever imagine when I am turned to Christ, “The Way, the Truth and the Life” – John 14:6.
Anyone can follow the right path by accepting God as He is and learning to love Him for what He is. The Pursuit of God will definitely embrace the labour of bringing our total personality into conformity with His.

When I was put to the test regarding the question who is above me in life, my true position was revealed, and the book once again brought me back to my original habitat with the realisation that no-one is above God. He is truly our Maker and Omnipotent. Nothing will or can restore order till our hearts make the great decision that is exposed in Tozer’s book. Will you make that final decision to exalt Him over all?
The moment I opened the book, an active theatre was present inside me where God could display His exceeding kindness towards me in Jesus. Via visual imagery, I could breathe the fragrance whilst walking among the trees of the garden and that gave me clarity as I connected the dots all the way back to God.
Something that is very noticeable in the book is that according to Tozer, the purpose of the holy days and rituals of the Old Testament was explicitly to learn about the Holy of God, and he feels no great emphasis should be placed on such things today, because God is present every day.
His Word is the essence of truth and after adding that to my knowledge after I finished reading the book, I don’t care what people think of me any longer as long as God is pleased. I now understand that it is not what I do that determines whether my work is sacred, it is why I do it. Tozer mentioned, “The motive is everything”. I stand by my latest motto, “In myself, nothing. In God, everything.” – I am at rest.

The book doesn’t only rely upon studies, but also deals with the deep things of God and the riches of His grace and encourages the stripping down of it all in prayer in order for me to truly understand its purpose and build a relationship with God. But to be able to understand the book, you need to believe. “Believing, then, is directing the heart’s attention to Jesus”. All this takes time, and you must take it a step at a time. If you refuse one step, you bring your progress to an end. I needed to learn to wait patiently on God and make an effort, because it doesn’t only take one encounter with the Lord for you to make assumptions. Only after long and loving mental intercourse with Christ, do you realise the true definition of religion – One word, just like God created everything with a single word, “Love”. ”You and I are in little (our sins excepted) what God is in large”.

The devoted prayer at the end of each chapter is a meaningful time of communion connecting with God on a spiritual level and emphasises the importance of the content and themes within a single theme discussed in each chapter. Throughout the journey, ten puzzle pieces join together to form one picture expressing the one thing that matters.
Overall, Tozer’s The Pursuit of God is a classic instruction manual for those of us who have chosen to seek God devotedly. He sincerely gives direction to those who are striving after God and wanting to obey his will. This wonderful book guides Christians into a deeper personal relationship with God at any point of their spiritual development.

Tozer’s overall emphasis is to lead the Christian into a daily way of life dedicated solely to God, so each and every act, thought, and intent should focus only on the Lord’s glory. Our Christian lives should not be divided into the holy and the worldly. Instead, we should do everything to the glory of God. Throughout the ten chapters, Tozer uses old Christian literacy and eloquently writes about a wide spectrum of truth contained in one single theme and that theme is: The importance of the continual pursuit of God.