I've been reading through the The Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer again. I first read through this little gem 20 years ago for one of my Bible classes at Biola University. In it, AW Tozer describes and contemplates the attributes of God. Among the 23 chapter titles are such topics as: The Holy Trinity, The Self-existence of God, The Eternity of God, The Grace of God, The Mercy of God, The Justice of God, and The Divine Transcendence.
The first time I read this book, I did so in just a few days and soaked up every word of it like a dry, thirsty sponge. It deeply affected my thinking about the nature of God . This is the third attempt I have made to re-read this now. Previously, I have gotten to a certain point and just stopped. I'm not sure why. It's a short read -- only 117 pages, but it is so meaty that it seems like I end up stopping after each sentence to process and ponder Dr. Tozer's insights about God.
Maybe I the reason I finished it so quickly in college was because it was an assignment with an attached deadline, or perhaps I had more of a theological, academic mindset, that comes from being immersed in a Christian college environment. It could be that I didn't have little ones, a husband, a job, ministry, and other responsibilities vying for my mental energy. Whatever the case, with each failed attempt to re-read it I have left disappointed with myself when I end up putting it back on the shelf after the 7th or 8th chapter. Well good news! I am almost done with it! I wanted my daughter, Emma to read it while she is in Africa so I decided that I should read it first before giving it to her, so that we can discuss it when she gets back. She leaves for Burkina Faso in less than a week, so I guess this is the kind of book I need a deadline to meet in order to finish it, LOL!
One of the benefits I've received from reading this book is that I am better able to identify God's attributes during adoration time in prayer. Sometimes God seems so immense to me I am at a loss for words when it comes to expressing adoration. AW Tozer has helped give me words that I don't have. One of the things we are being mentored in through our ministry is something called worship intercession. I may write on that more later, but essentially it is prayer and spiritual warfare through worship singing. We do this corporately during our monthly prayer meetings, but I have begun to incorporate this into my own prayer time. Its not something I do every time, but it is becoming more of a habit. I was thinking about the attributes of God and wanting a song to express these attributes and a beautiful, old hymn that I sang in my childhood churches came to my memory. I looked it up on Youtube and I found the one below to be my favorite arrangement.
I missed this about Emma going to Africa. Did you already write about that? Exciting! Is your own church sending her? I remember reading that she wanted to go to India. My Compassion correspondent child lives there (southwestern part). What I wouldn't give to visit her!
ReplyDeleteLove this post!
Thanks, Christine. No you didn't miss anything, I haven't written about it yet, but I will this week probably. We have VBS this week and are getting Emma ready to go -- crazy week! I finally located a mosquito net in our small town!
ReplyDeleteYes, she is going with our church. She will be with some other kids and some youth workers.
Emma still has a burden for India. This is one of the reasons she decided to go to Africa and not on the other missions trip that her youth group took, which focused on city work in El Salvador. She felt she would be ministering to those in more extreme poverty in Africa and it would give her a better idea of what India would be like. Since the first 10 years of her life she spent a good part of the time in Mexico, she wanted to minister in a different setting than Latin America. One of the things she and the team will be doing is visiting one of the Compassion International Centers. We've never had any Compassion children in Africa. Since we speak a little Spanish, we've always chosen to sponsor kids from Latin America. Our first one grew up and our second one's center closed down right before we stepped away from our position at the church. We really want to sponsor another child, but can't right now. I think our next one may be in India or Africa, though, especially after Emma's trip.
We can't afford to sponsor anyone either, what with constant car repair bills and other worries. I have such a burden now for low-income people, especially in terms of transportation. They have no choice but to drive decades-old cars, always in need of repair. Our mechanic ends up using junk-yard parts that don't always last over a month. He's been very kind to us over the years, not charging what he could charge. It's a scary thing to worry about losing your job over unreliable transportation, and though we know God will provide, it's still disheartening to deal with constant repairs. We just recently got a second car that's over twenty years old, from Don's friend in PA, whose mother had passed away and left the car behind.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, I signed up to correspondent with the first available child, who ended up being an eight-year-old girl from India. I can sign up to correspondent with up to two more, in another month. In other regions there isn't a three-child maximum, for some reason. I know of someone who corresponds with over five children.
Kids get a correspondent when an actual sponsor bows out of the writing/relationship part. I think many people with means sponsor a lot of kids at once, and ask for correspondents to do the letter writing part. Either that, or after a child gets no letters for quite some time, Compassion just assigns a correspondent.
I will keep Emma's trip in prayer!
This sounds like a book I need to read. Tozer had such an amazing revelations about this Amazing God. I'm encouraged to pick this up. Thanks for your post.
ReplyDeleteHi Franzwa,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment. I have only read this one book of Tozer's. We have some other ones in my husband's library that I really should pick up and read.