Comments for Big Hairy Deal

Comment on Pursuing God Together, Week 7 by Susannah

Susannah — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 02:07:10 +0000

Ben, I loved the line “[The self-focused man] is adjusting the hair and make-up on a corpse.” Tozer’s paragraph about faith being the least self-regarding of the virtues resonated with me. I am often the one “trying to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures.” I liked the comparison of faith to the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself.

I would agree that this is an accurate description of faith, as evidenced by Hebrews 11 and summarized in 12:1-3. I want to fix my eyes on Jesus, “the author and perfecter of faith”.

Comment on Pursuing God Together, Week 7 by LC

LC — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:05:10 +0000

“When the eyes of the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right here on this earth.”

Wow.

I think Tozer described faith brilliantly in this chapter. It is certainly simple, but faith is simple. Jesus told us to draw near to him as a child, not as a scholar or scientist or philosopher. Faith is simple so all may look to God. My looking to God now as I read Tozer, Piper, or anyone else and understand them is no different faith than my looking to God when I was 7 years old and first gave my life to him.

There are certainly other aspects of faith that Tozer could have talked about– the inner workings of God in our lives while we are looking to him: dependence, trust, surrender, etc. But faith itself, as clearly described by Jesus in John 3 when he referenced Moses lifting up the snake and the people looking to it, is simply and beautifully looking to Christ as he is lifted up.

I also agree that the answer to the question, “What am I doing when I am believing?” does seem clearer through this chapter. Somehow “looking” to God, though we aren’t really doing anything at all, seems (to me) more tangible and practical than just “staying still” and waiting for him to work in me.

Comment on Pursuing God Together, Week 2 by Gee

Gee — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:58:32 +0000

This chapter hit me really hard, especially the part when Tozer writes the conversation from God to Abraham- that He didn’t want him to slay Isaac but only remove him from the pride of place that Abraham had put Him. The bible says that All good and perfect gifts come from God; God has given me ALL things to enjoy BUT I have to ensure that ‘these things’, the dream job, having a family, money do not take God’s place in my heart…

Another thing that struck me was the way Tozer described how my affection for ‘things’ needs to be removed: words like ‘torn out of our heart like a plant from a soil’, (I imagined yanking grass from the soil- its difficult because plants has roots- and it you mow that plant down without digging up its root, it will just grow back again), ‘extracted in agony and blood like a tooth from the jaw’ (I imagined having a tooth extraction without any anaesthetic), and ‘expelled from our soul with violence’. These words point to the seriousness of falling in love with things and the difficulty in expelling this love for ‘things’ but I’m thankful tha I don’t have to rely on my own strength because God who has begun this good work in me will complete it…

Comment on Pursuing God Together, Week 1 by Ben Steele

Ben Steele — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:45:41 +0000

Well, I’m glad you found us and thank you for following along! We’ve got some great discussion going on so I know you will benefit. We’re in Chapter 7 right now but I encourage you to read through at your own pace and I get updates when you comment so I’ll be able to see what you’ve added to our discussion.

Comment on Pursuing God Together, Week 1 by Gee

Gee — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:26:48 +0000

I stumbled on your blog accidentally and have committed to reading the book as well. The whole chapter resonated with me, this sentence especially, ‘The man who has God for his treasure, has all things in One’!! I so want that to be me, to give God pride of place in my life and seek after Him for Him and not for what He can give me!!

Comment on Pursuing God Together, Week 6 by LC

LC — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:13:28 +0000

I’ve found that I’m very good at creating my own noise. No one likes an awkward silence in conversation, and I find myself trying to fill every moment with the clanging of my own thoughts, no matter how trivial or useless they are. Sometimes I even fill the void with the sound of myself asking God to speak to me, listening to my request instead of really listening for his reply. Personally, the moments when I hear God speaking to me the clearest are moments when I’m not straining my ears… moments when I’m not filling the air with my own thoughts, but moments when I’m– often without realizing it– just resting in and enjoying his presence. Like that of a human, his voice catches me off guard. He’s not a puppet– I can’t control when he speaks. He speaks what he chooses, when he chooses. And the only way I can really know what he’s saying is to shut up myself and turn my attention to him.

In this chapter, I was also impacted by Tozer’s thoughts on the link between God’s written word and spoken word. It’s a truth I often forget in the daily grind. Also, I keep thinking that there’s no way he can keeping churning out these great chapters, one after another, but they are all phenomenally deep, refreshing, true, and perspective-shifting.

Comment on Pursuing God Together, Week 6 by Julie DeBord Hamilton

Julie DeBord Hamilton — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:19:15 +0000

I liked the phrase “our noise-making and endless toiling to accomplish something”… I hate when we do that. I’ve prayed hard about not falling into that this week and during my internship. I’m complete in Christ; He is my glory and confidence and identity. I don’t need to seek those things in anything else. (ok. . so that might have been off-topic but its ok).
I hate when I let the noise of the world or people around me drown out the sound of God’s voice. I hate it even worse at the times where I feel as if I have found a silent place and still hear nothing. I believe those are times that God wants me to seek Him in His word and have faith that He is there. I have been blessed with experiencing His presence lately. I am so very thankful.
I do not know where I found that quote either…but its good! I think I had something else to say, but I must get back to my class work! Please pray for me these two weeks!

Comment on Pursuing God Together, Week 6 by Susannah

Susannah — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 22:05:06 +0000

I just rediscovered something Julie sent me several months ago. I’m not sure where it originated, maybe she can remember. It says,

“Lord, heighten my spiritual senses to see that which is not visible, hear that which is not audible, sense that which is not tangible, believe that which is unbelievable.

Teach me to sort through the noise of this world to heard and discern Your powerful, wonderful, pure, precious voice.”

This is the cry of our hearts as we pursue God together. Praying for each of you!

Comment on Pursuing God Together, Week 5 by Ben Steele

Ben Steele — Thu, 31 May 2012 22:42:39 +0000

Yes! So good! “We don’t have to lace up our boots and start on a 40-day journey back to Him, we only have to turn.” Love it.

Comment on Pursuing God Together, Week 5 by Ben Steele

Ben Steele — Thu, 31 May 2012 22:40:04 +0000

I like the concept of glasses. I think this is what we mean when we talk about a “worldview.” It’s pattern by which we interpret everything we experience.

“The church answers are the right answers.” Great, great line.

Without having read what Packer wrote, I don’t see any problem with picturing Jesus with you. He did live here, after all. He was a dude who walked around, ate, slept, joked… He was worshiped then. We worship Him now. To picture him as a man is not to impart on him a nature he does not have, but to remember what he really and truly is.