Tozer, Satisfaction, and Short Sales

I'm re-reading The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer. Here are some of my favorite parts from the chapter I read yesterday on "Removing the Veil":

"He has discovered Himself to some extent in nature, but more perfectly in the Incarnation. Now He waits to show Himself in ravishing fullness to the humble of soul and the pure in heart. The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His presence. The instant cure for most of our religious ills would be to enter the Presence in spiritual experience, to become suddenly aware that we are in God and God is in us."

"God is so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful that He can, without anything other than Himself, meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, mysterious and deep as that nature is."

"With the veil removed by the rending of Jesus' flesh, with nothing on God's side to prevent us from entering, why do we tarry without? Why do we consent to abide all our days just outside the Holy of Holies and never enter at all to look upon God?"

If you are a Christian that hasn't read this book - put it on your summer reading list. If you don't have a summer reading list, make this the first on the list! :) I rarely re-read books, but this is one that is so full of God's Word and delight in Him that it speaks to me new each time I pick it up.

This time, I've been convicted that only God can satisfy me. So often, I get frustrated when my family or friends or work do not meet my wants and needs. But I can't expect them to be perfect. Only my Creator and Savior truly knows what I want and need - and only He has the ability to provide it. When I turn to Him to fulfill me, I am never disappointed - but I am always left wanting more! The more I seek Him in this life, the more I know of Him - and the more I realize that I don't know. As He forms me into His image, I become more like Him - and I realize even more of how far short I fall. The Christian life is simple - there are no secrets. God has made His path clear; to obey Him and delight in Him. But it is so hard, when our old self is always wanting to disobey Him and delight in created things.

Praise God! He has made us to suffer for a little while so that we may truly live with Him for all eternity! On earth, we are always striving, always falling short - but He is preparing a place for us where we will be satisfied forever. I need to fix my eyes on this goal...

In other news, my dear hubby and I are still waiting to hear back on the house we put an offer on in April. Since it's a short sale, the seller's bank can take their sweet time to decide whether to accept our offer or ask for more money. Meanwhile, we are still looking at other houses in case we can't afford their counteroffer. This week, I was starting to get discouraged. But today, I was remembering the Israelites who wandered in the desert for 40 years before reaching their home. If they had just been obedient, they would have made it there much sooner! I am determined to obey the Lord and trust in His timing and plan.

I was reading a blog yesterday about a woman's mission trip to India, in which she visited a young woman's home that was the size of a small closet. She had five people in her family, and some of them had to sleep on the streets because they couldn't all fit in their home. Who am I to complain that I don't have enough space? My small family of three has so much more than that family will ever have. God is teaching me to be thankful, and to be a good steward of what he has given to me. I don't always need to be seeking more things. I need to be seeking Him.

With that said, I do still want a house. But I want it to be God's house - not mine. I want it to be a place where He is glorified, where people feel at home and loved, where my family can grow and serve others. Ultimately, it doesn't matter if my home is the size of a closet or a mansion, so long as I serve the Lord with what He gives me.

Blessings! And don't forget to pick up a copy of The Pursuit of God. :)