I have recently been diving into one of A. W. Tozer's many books, The Root of Righteousness. This book is the perfect read for college students because it is a compilation of short essays by Tozer that are no longer than 3 pages a chapter. Whether I have a large chunk of time in the morning or just five minutes, it allows me to get my mind focused on God through a challenging message. If you have ever read Tozer, you know that is just what his books are, challenging. His writing is far from comforting or encouraging to anyone who is not truly pursing God and for the ones that are, it is still a kick in the butt. All this to say, I have been wrecked and destroyed through this book as it has challenged me to the core and helped me acknowledge some of the dirt in me that I really don't like.
In recent chapters he has talked about something that I find interesting and far from my reach; the terror of the Lord. At first glance, I always thought this referred to being scared of God or something surface level. It is now that I have learned the terror of the Lord is only Holy Spirit induced and is what the people of Israel experienced when the saw the glow on Moses' face. They were terrified because God is so Holy, where as they were mere humans. I don't think I have ever experienced this. I have never fallen on my face because I was in utter trembling of how Holy God is and how small I am compared to His vastness. This is something I earnestly seek now as I believe it is an important part to truly understanding God.
Today I read about something that burdened my soul and that is the enormous amount of 'Christians' who talk the talk, but do not live their lives for Christ. This was not talking about the kids who go to Christian school, but get drunk on the weekends, rather it was talking about those of us whom are serving, worshiping, and looking as if we love the Lord, but in the secret of our homes choosing the satisfactions of this earth over God's love. This has been quite convicting to me as I ask myself things such as, "How much TV is too much?" or "If I really loved the Lord, would I find joy in this kind of music?" A fine line must be drawn here as to declare that this is not a legalistic lifestyle even though it may seem, but, rather a lifestyle that revolves around the pursuit of holiness. I go to school on a large Christian campus located in Southern California and I would love to say I always choose the glory of God over the secularism that consumes California, but it breaks my heart to see us choosing immodest clothing over purity because it's what is fashionable, or music about one night stands over music that is glorifying to God. I praise God for the hearts I have encountered who are choosing the narrow path and that encourage me to do the same, but Tozer has really challenged me to not only continuously examine my own heart, but to fervently pray for those who truly believe they are living for God when they are clearly not. And the saddest part is that most people are blinded and only seeking comfort and affirmation in the message of Christ when there is so much more.
I highly recommend this book.
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