Half-Studying God

The Pursuit of God. A.W. Tozer
 
The Christian who is alive enough to know himself even slightly will recognize the symptoms of this possessiveness malady [of things] and will grieve to find them in his own heart.

I would never be so bold as to allow I feel this way at all times---that I know immediately when my enthusiasm for some thing in the world has become too non-fulfillingly fulfilling that I "forget" God. Oh no. 
There are times and ages when we are better at realizing something has attracted our attention away from God. Other times the interest is well-hidden, like an aggressive, metastatic cancer. 
We go, in the later times, merrily along, telling ourselves that all is right with the world, all is right between us and God. We know, deep down, all is not right, but because of the seeming calm, we are willing to go along with everything just the way it is. 
Oh, we might make a stab at increasing the depth of our relationship with God. Buy a new Bible study book, turn on the radio to a Christian station while we drive or work. The focus is not there. 
We are speaking of a Being who, with words, created all about us. The focus on God, when it's on God, is fully on God. There is no half-studying of God. 
Mainly for me, but not always, when times were and are tougher are the times when I have that focus. That is the time when I can sit with the Word and be involved in a conversation. I am not driving about, considering the care I will give my patient when I arrive at the home. I am not considering the bills I have to pay and when. I am fully focused on God and what He has to say. 
There is a saying of something along the lines of God whispers, but shouts when He needs to. We get so wrapped up in unimportant things, things that are not "treasures in heaven" but "garbage of the dump" that we may need that shout. We may not get a shout though, if we have been engaged in dumpster diving long enough to have ignored everything. It may still be a whisper.
The thing is...when we listen, that whisper is so loud, and carries so much with it. A shout would be too much.