Friday, June 17, 2016

Finding God in the Hard Times - by Matt & Beth Redman

Cover Art

About the book:

On the Road Marked With Suffering . . . How Will You Respond?
Come rain or shine, hardship or ease, confusion or clarity, worship is always a choice. But what does it look like when worship meets suffering? How can God be good when it seems the world is collapsing around you?

In this inspiring book, Matt and Beth Redman draw on their experiences to explore how to offer praise even in the face of hardship and pain. Focusing on the psalms, they reveal how difficult or tragic circumstances, and the choices you make, can propel you toward God or away from him. Learn how to weather the storms of life with a cry of "blessed be your name" on your lips.

Previously published as Blessed Be Your Name. Now includes end-of-chapter questions for personal reflection or group use.

My review:

This is an enjoyable book with a lot of good points.  The chapter headings are taken from lines in the song, "Blessed Be Your Name," which the Redmans wrote.  One of the things they pointed out that people struggle with is knowing that God is good, but trying to reconcile that with the hardship they're going through.  They suggested going to the Bible to read about people who've gone through hard times and being encouraged by all the ways He's been faithful in the past.  You can also remember how He's been faithful to you or people you know.  This builds faith, which will lead to worship. I thought this was a wonderful way to get the focus on God and the amazing things He's done and off of yourself.  It an be so easy to focus on your problems and the hard time you're going through and to start feeling sorry for yourself.  They also point out that suffering can strengthen us and God can end up bringing good out of the bad. They shared struggles they've had in their own lives and how they've turned to God through them.  They also shared letters they received about how their song has helped people who'd lost a loved one.  Have a tissue handy!  I really appreciated their transparency as they shared some tough memories and how God worked through them.  I liked the chapter about the discipline of thanksgiving and how it's important to thank God in the good times and bad.  There's also a discussion guide and a guide to the Scripture references in the book.  This was a short book, but it packed a lot of wisdom into its pages.  I highly recommend it!

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

 The Authors

  1. Matt Redman

    Matt Redman

    MATT REDMAN is the writer of many songs including "The Heart of Worship," "Better Is One Day," "Let My Words Be Few," and "Blessed Be Your Name." Matt has been leading worship full time since age 20, and this journey has...
    Continue reading about Matt Redman
  2. Beth Redman

    Beth Redman

    Beth Redman, together with her husband, Matt, has written popular songs "Let My Words Be Few" and "Facedown." Beth is the author of Soul Sister and Beautiful. Based in West Sussex, England, Matt, Beth, and their...
    Continue reading about Beth Redman 

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