I picked up The Pursuit of God off my shelf a couple nights ago. I'd read this book years ago. My highlights and underlines marked many of the pages. But, admittedly, I'm not sure I was at a point to challenge what I was being told when I read it before.
Reading now, I am surprised at the extent that I have heard this book, and Tozer himself, exalted. If Tozer's point is "We need the passion of the Holy Spirit in addition to clear teaching from the Word of God," I would see the reason for encouraging careful reading of Pursuit.
But instead, I come across a statement about sound Bible teachers which seemingly condemns them by saying they are "strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives." Tozer goes on to say that this sound teaching does not satisfy.
I will continue to read, but my impression after reading this first portion of the book is that Tozer wants us to see the Holy Spirit of first import, especially in our teachings and daily relationships with God. Instead, I want to present the idea that the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures are of equal importance in our lives and relationships with God.
To be sure, the Holy Spirit is a source for passion. But did not David exclaim in the psalms "revive me according to Your word" (Psalm 119:25) and again "Your word has revived me" (Psalm 119:50)? God's Word is our foundation. It is a rock we can stand upon.
How often have you heard people say or do something contrary to His word with the belief that it was what the Holy Spirit led them to do?
Can anyone rightly accuse David of a lack of passion for God? And in his passion, he exclaims "Establish my footsteps in Your word" (Psalm 119:133). May we express the same exclamation. Truly, the Holy Spirit will not move us to actions contrary to His Word, but our foundation must be found in the Scriptures so that we can rightly discern God's Spirit from our own sinful thoughts and desires.
