The Pursuit of God

Introduction

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through Tozer’s last sermon, I have felt a sympathetic kinship to Eutychus (Acts 20:9). 1 It was a gift of providence that A. W. Tozer entered the life of our family many decades ago. My dad had been a pastor on the verge of burnout and spiritual exhaustion. Tozer pointed out a new pathway forward, and directed him toward the real supernatural presence and resources necessary to sustain a vibrant ministry. The timeworn old clichés were not enough. But Tozer marched to the beat of a different drummer, and we have all been changed for the better through his influence. I believe the same is possible for any and all who study this little book, which he so aptly titled The Pursuit of God . Tozer the Author A fire broke out on the Tozer family farm near Newburg in rural western Pennsylvania. It spread quickly, and in the chaos that ensued the entire farmhouse burned to the ground. The tragedy marked a pivotal point in the family’s history. Before long, for this and other reasons, the farm had to be abandoned. The family packed up and moved further west to Akron, Ohio. There some of them found employment in a Goodyear rubber factory. A. W. Tozer (1897–1963), a son born on that farm, was just ten years old at the time of the fire. We can only speculate that the event left a permanent impression on his heart and mind. Throughout his later life, he instinctively viewed the things of this world as passing and impermanent. And

1 Adapted from Glen G. Scorgie, A Little Guide to Christian Spirituality (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 9.