The Pursuit of God...my question!?

Question

I posted a question about Believing...thanks to all who answered and gave great answers!

I'd like to have your opinion and views on this question....all answers would be appreciated.

Do you believe in your pursuit of God is more of an intellectual Pursuit (the bible etc) or do you feel it's a feeling an emotion or maybe better said a spiritual pursuit. Maybe a combination of all of the above.

2nd question: I'm very interested in the life of David in the Chronicles. He seems to me to be a man of a deep and passionate knowledge of God...yet he goes against him and openly disobeyes him.

Why would he do this having this knowledge of the creator?

Answer 1

1. You would have to be able to understand what it is you are pursuing, but it is not exclusively an intellectual pursuit. Many have the knowledge of God but don't see the need to follow Him. Look at the first 3 chapters of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar knew what God was capable of, but he did not follow Him.

It is not an emotional pursuit, and I believe some people rely too heavily on emotions.

I feel that the best way to describe the pursuit would be a spiritual one.

One is born of the Spirit
we are to worship in Spirit and Truth
In the last days God will pour forth His Spirit on all mankind
we're taught by the Spirit
we pray in the Spirit
believers have the fruit of the Spirit

2. David was a man after God's heart. The key word here was that David was a MAN. All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. David did repent of his sin, God forgave David but David did suffer the consequences for the rest of his life.

God created us. He knows the hurdles and pitfalls of being in this human fallen fleshly body. He is a loving, merciful, compassionate God who will forgive when we repent.
He also is a just and righteous judge. David did not "get off the hook" for his sin, but he did receive forgiveness and he was restored to a right relationship with God.

I am glad that we are able to see the "human" side of David. He was a man who lusted, deceived and was responsible for the death of a man.

And he was a man after God's own heart.
He wasn't a superhero, he was a guy.


Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I believe it is a combination of all. We need to search Him out intellectually, Emotions do have some part, but the Spirit is what keeps us going. Satan is against the Spirit It is a spiritual warfare out there. David was a man after God's own heart, but he was human. He made mistakes just like you and I have. God is showing us that he did make mistakes, He asked for forgiveness, and God accepted him back with open arms. He wants us to learn from everyone Else mistakes, and not do the same. We won't be perfect until we see Jesus face to face. We are to turn from sin, and not let it control us. God is awesome, and He knew we would sin, but He loves us, and gives us grace.
Question for you Why do you do the things you do having knowledge of the creator?

Answer 3

Pursuit of God for me is intellectual, spiritual and also emotionally satisfying.

I think at the end of the Day David was a man and he had weaknesses just like we do. The bible says that David was a man after Gods own heart and I really love that because it shows how merciful and forgiving God really is. David broke all the 10 commandments in one day but because of his truly repentant heart he went forward in his relationship with God.

Answer 4

Remember David was also a man,just like you or I,,he has his faults but he always gave God the glory for all the good he did..David was a man after the Lord heart, why because of his devotion to him and praise..He would sing to the Lord,,and worship him..My pursuit is of spiritual,,we can't serve God in our flesh,it just won't happen it is written..

Answer 5

For me it is more of an intellectual pursuit that has spiritual rewards. As a history teacher, I've always found great rewards in studying the past. It helps me to put things in perspective.

There are lots of Christians who are very, very emotionally sensitive and who ascribe their feelings to spiritual influences. I don't trust feelings so much; as I've gotten older, I've come to see such feelings and passions as fleeting. Spiritual feelings still have their place in Christianity, though.

I salute your study of David. I don't have a solid answer for you there. Good luck in your studies! Keep asking tough questions!

Answer 6

David was human with all the human flaws we all share. Yet his devotion to God was sincere.

I think that at least in the beginning it is usually a spiritual quest, but then as you study and learn it penetrates every aspect of your life.

Answer 7

We are to love, or pursue, God with our whole mind, heart, soul, and strength. So yes, you are right.
And yes, God said that David was 'a man after My Own Heart'. Unfortunately, all men sin at one time or another. His weakness was the sight of a naked woman. God loves us, and created sex for our pleasure, but there is appropriate, and inappropriate sex.

One little mistake...!

Answer 8

I can honestly say that its a combination of both, studying GOD's word as well as a personal relationship, an emotional one that is tough to describe but everyone who has experienced GOD knows EXACTLY what Im talking about

Answer 9

God cannot be understood merely by our intellectual powers, because we are limited and He is unlimited. And also if we simply trust our feelings, we are most likely to become sentimentalists by following our mental concoctions. Many people think they hear God or talk to Him when actually they are simply following their own imagination.
The process of understanding God is to get information about Him from authorized scriptures (explained by expert person!), from bonafide spiritual master and from pure devotees. We must apply our intelligence to understand the importance of hearing from scriptures and from spiritual master, and then we must be in submissive service mood to actually attain realization of the knowledge of the scriptures. In this way, by God's mercy manifesting through the bonafide spiritual master, we ca understand Him and come to Him.
It is said that religion without solid philosophycal basis is simply sentimentalism, while philosophy without religion is simply dry speculation.

Answer 10

It must be more of a 'feeling' thing. There's absolutely no reason for it.
Maybe David was just fickle.