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Second Guessing God: Hanging on When You Can't See His Plan
"Why does God allow bad things to happen?" This book is Jones's response to that question. Like a good friend, Brian comes alongside those seeking help in trials of life to help them find meaning and strength.
221 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2006
28 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Brian C. Jones
6 books49 followersHi, I’m Brian.
If you’re like most people I talk to, your mind feels crowded. You’re tired, overextended, and longing for peace — not as a theory, but as a way of life.
I know that ache. For years I lived as an ambitious pastor, pushing too hard until anxiety, exhaustion, and depression caught up with me. But everything changed when my wife and I moved to the edge of a forest — a slower, quieter pace of life where I began to hear God again.
Now I write to help people trade inner chaos for lasting peace — by learning to think and live in the way of Jesus.
Each week, I’ll send reflections from the forest’s edge — stories, insights, and practices to help you slow down, pay attention, and rediscover peace in your mind, body, and spirit. To receive those please go to www.brianjonesletters.substack.com
Take a deep breath. You’re among friends.
— Brian
If you’re like most people I talk to, your mind feels crowded. You’re tired, overextended, and longing for peace — not as a theory, but as a way of life.
I know that ache. For years I lived as an ambitious pastor, pushing too hard until anxiety, exhaustion, and depression caught up with me. But everything changed when my wife and I moved to the edge of a forest — a slower, quieter pace of life where I began to hear God again.
Now I write to help people trade inner chaos for lasting peace — by learning to think and live in the way of Jesus.
Each week, I’ll send reflections from the forest’s edge — stories, insights, and practices to help you slow down, pay attention, and rediscover peace in your mind, body, and spirit. To receive those please go to www.brianjonesletters.substack.com
Take a deep breath. You’re among friends.
— Brian
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 16, 2013
When I picked this book up, I had high hopes for it. After all, according to the title it's about hanging on when you don't see God's plan, and that's always been an issue for me. I've rarely seen a plan. It looked like an interesting book. Another plus for it was that author and minister Brian McLaren endorsed it on the back cover, and I like and respect him immensely.
Jones starts with the following premise: "Why does God allow bad things to happen?" According to Goodreads, this book is Jones's response to that question. However, I never quite got that. I think if that's what he was trying to answer, he failed. He did try though. He uses the Israelites crossing the Jordan river from the desert to illustrate that "God is always at work upstream in our lives." He writes, "Where's God? Whenever we face a problem in our lives -- sickness, job loss, depression, tragedy, or discouragement -- God is at work upstream in those situations, beyond our line of sight." Interesting, but I don't know if I fully buy it and he doesn't really go there too much more in the book. He talks about being broken -- that "in order for me to notice people in pain and reach out to them with authenticity, I needed to go through a slow, painful process of transformation. It's the same process he is taking you through." Interesting. So everyone is broken and going through Godly transformations. I don't know. He doesn't argue convincingly for me. Jones later argues for compassion, saying "When we have Jesus' heart, we see what he sees as if we're borrowing his eyes." It seems a bit too trite for me, frankly. I want more theological meat on the bones. But maybe this book is intended for a different target audience, I don't know.
Jones writes a chapter about doubt. He remarks,
"Perhaps you have a question that is bothering you. Maybe something happened to you or someone you love, and there doesn't seem to be any rational explanation for its occurrence. How do we resolve these kinds of questions? Honestly, most times we don't. We live with the ambiguity. We wake up every day knowing full well that we carry around with us just as many questions as answers.... At the heart of a life filled with unanswered questions lies the very nature of Christianity.... Doubt reminds us of this."
Doesn't this passage acknowledge that he can't answer the book's questioning premise? No one has answers. Isn't that what he's saying? The author's solution to doubt is to reach out to others. Seriously. I'm glad that works for him, but I don't know that it'll solve my issues for me....
In the Witness chapter, I come across some big problems that I really don't like. It's Hell. Jones didn't think too much of Hell early in his life, but at some point came to the conclusion that Hell is real and that everyone who doesn't accept Jesus into his life as their personal savior is damned to eternal Hell. He writes,
"I had always assumed that the Bible contained only a few scattered references to Hell. I was wrong; it is taught everywhere. Take the book of Matthew, for instance, just one book among twenty-seven in the entire New Testament.... Thirteen separate passages record Jesus' teachings about the judgment of nonbelievers and their assignment to eternal punishment."
He then throws out words to allegedly describe Hell in Matthew: fire, eternal fire, destruction, away from his presence, thrown outside, fiery furnace, darkness, eternal punishment, weeping and gnashing of teeth. OK. I don't know why Brian McLaren endorsed this book because he doesn't believe in Hell in the traditional sense of a fiery place of eternal conscious torment. He thinks that's flat out wrong. So does Rob Bell, author of Love Wins, a book I've read three times and have found great relief and joy in. Bell argues that Hell isn't mentioned in the Bible 13 TIMES alone, let alone in one book, if I recall correctly. He covers every instance of Hell in his book. These loaded words that Jones throws out refers to the always burning garbage pit outside Jerusalem, if you go by the original Greek, according to McLaren and Bell. Also, words like "destruction," "thrown outside," "darkness," etc, hardly convey images of the traditional Christian Hell. I grew up in a Hellfire and brimstone environment, a strong Calvinist upbringing where practically everyone who wasn't a true Calvinist was destined for Hell. That, among other things, turned me off to God and Christianity for 20 years. I truly don't know if there's a Hell or not, but I think McLaren and Bell do a much better job of arguing their case than Jones does here. Very weak, and disappointing. He lost me as a reader in this section.
Anyway, Jones ends his book by talking about the importance of attending church (and most likely tithing the heck out of yourselves, since he is a minister), and he strangely argues that you should attend the SAME church for the rest of your lives. You shouldn't church shop. His final words are "That 'perfect church' you're looking for already exists. You attended it last Sunday." SERIOUSLY??? What if the church you attended was Westboro Baptist? What if it's a crazy church, filled with nutjobs? What if you don't feel comfortable there and you do want to attend multiple churches? Is that a crime? Is it a sin? I can't believe how much importance Jones places on this. I've never read this anywhere else. It's bizarre.
Throughout the book, Jones interjects his own thoughts into various situations from his entire life, and I got the feeling that this book was his form of self therapy. That he was trying to work through things in his life and this is what came of it. I thought it was a book that didn't answer a hard question and provided some misguided notions and advice, and I think it's really a failure overall. Certainly not recommended.
Jones starts with the following premise: "Why does God allow bad things to happen?" According to Goodreads, this book is Jones's response to that question. However, I never quite got that. I think if that's what he was trying to answer, he failed. He did try though. He uses the Israelites crossing the Jordan river from the desert to illustrate that "God is always at work upstream in our lives." He writes, "Where's God? Whenever we face a problem in our lives -- sickness, job loss, depression, tragedy, or discouragement -- God is at work upstream in those situations, beyond our line of sight." Interesting, but I don't know if I fully buy it and he doesn't really go there too much more in the book. He talks about being broken -- that "in order for me to notice people in pain and reach out to them with authenticity, I needed to go through a slow, painful process of transformation. It's the same process he is taking you through." Interesting. So everyone is broken and going through Godly transformations. I don't know. He doesn't argue convincingly for me. Jones later argues for compassion, saying "When we have Jesus' heart, we see what he sees as if we're borrowing his eyes." It seems a bit too trite for me, frankly. I want more theological meat on the bones. But maybe this book is intended for a different target audience, I don't know.
Jones writes a chapter about doubt. He remarks,
"Perhaps you have a question that is bothering you. Maybe something happened to you or someone you love, and there doesn't seem to be any rational explanation for its occurrence. How do we resolve these kinds of questions? Honestly, most times we don't. We live with the ambiguity. We wake up every day knowing full well that we carry around with us just as many questions as answers.... At the heart of a life filled with unanswered questions lies the very nature of Christianity.... Doubt reminds us of this."
Doesn't this passage acknowledge that he can't answer the book's questioning premise? No one has answers. Isn't that what he's saying? The author's solution to doubt is to reach out to others. Seriously. I'm glad that works for him, but I don't know that it'll solve my issues for me....
In the Witness chapter, I come across some big problems that I really don't like. It's Hell. Jones didn't think too much of Hell early in his life, but at some point came to the conclusion that Hell is real and that everyone who doesn't accept Jesus into his life as their personal savior is damned to eternal Hell. He writes,
"I had always assumed that the Bible contained only a few scattered references to Hell. I was wrong; it is taught everywhere. Take the book of Matthew, for instance, just one book among twenty-seven in the entire New Testament.... Thirteen separate passages record Jesus' teachings about the judgment of nonbelievers and their assignment to eternal punishment."
He then throws out words to allegedly describe Hell in Matthew: fire, eternal fire, destruction, away from his presence, thrown outside, fiery furnace, darkness, eternal punishment, weeping and gnashing of teeth. OK. I don't know why Brian McLaren endorsed this book because he doesn't believe in Hell in the traditional sense of a fiery place of eternal conscious torment. He thinks that's flat out wrong. So does Rob Bell, author of Love Wins, a book I've read three times and have found great relief and joy in. Bell argues that Hell isn't mentioned in the Bible 13 TIMES alone, let alone in one book, if I recall correctly. He covers every instance of Hell in his book. These loaded words that Jones throws out refers to the always burning garbage pit outside Jerusalem, if you go by the original Greek, according to McLaren and Bell. Also, words like "destruction," "thrown outside," "darkness," etc, hardly convey images of the traditional Christian Hell. I grew up in a Hellfire and brimstone environment, a strong Calvinist upbringing where practically everyone who wasn't a true Calvinist was destined for Hell. That, among other things, turned me off to God and Christianity for 20 years. I truly don't know if there's a Hell or not, but I think McLaren and Bell do a much better job of arguing their case than Jones does here. Very weak, and disappointing. He lost me as a reader in this section.
Anyway, Jones ends his book by talking about the importance of attending church (and most likely tithing the heck out of yourselves, since he is a minister), and he strangely argues that you should attend the SAME church for the rest of your lives. You shouldn't church shop. His final words are "That 'perfect church' you're looking for already exists. You attended it last Sunday." SERIOUSLY??? What if the church you attended was Westboro Baptist? What if it's a crazy church, filled with nutjobs? What if you don't feel comfortable there and you do want to attend multiple churches? Is that a crime? Is it a sin? I can't believe how much importance Jones places on this. I've never read this anywhere else. It's bizarre.
Throughout the book, Jones interjects his own thoughts into various situations from his entire life, and I got the feeling that this book was his form of self therapy. That he was trying to work through things in his life and this is what came of it. I thought it was a book that didn't answer a hard question and provided some misguided notions and advice, and I think it's really a failure overall. Certainly not recommended.
June 15, 2017
While there is nothing shockingly new in this book, it's a wonderful testimony of what Brian Jones has learned in his life. He writes in a relatable voice that feels as though you are having a conversation in his study.
There were a couple of places that really spoke to me. The chapter on Doubt is honest and impactful. Jones says, "At the heart of a life filled with unanswered questions lies the very nature of Christianity. Our faith is about a relationship with Jesus, not an adherence to a set of intellectual ideas we can memorize and master. Doubt reminds us of this."
Another part that stood out to me was the chapter on Church. "We've become a nation of church shoppers...If the preaching gets boring at our church, we pull out the yellow pages. If the worship style changes, we go to First Church's early service. If our Sunday School class starts to get too impersonal, we don't sweat it; we try the hot new church in town..I can't help but think this must make God sad....If you jump ship when things get tough, you'll condemn yourself to one long journey of spiritual superficiality." He goes on to give the example of his parents who have attended the same church for decades. He says, "...they'll look back and savor the memories a lifetime of faithful participation in one congregation brings. They'll look back and relish the dangerous conversations they didn't avoid, sins they were encouraged to confront, and authentic Christian friendships it took a lifetime to develop."
Just a few examples of the kind of personal, heartfelt conversations that this book makes you feel like you are having.
There were a couple of places that really spoke to me. The chapter on Doubt is honest and impactful. Jones says, "At the heart of a life filled with unanswered questions lies the very nature of Christianity. Our faith is about a relationship with Jesus, not an adherence to a set of intellectual ideas we can memorize and master. Doubt reminds us of this."
Another part that stood out to me was the chapter on Church. "We've become a nation of church shoppers...If the preaching gets boring at our church, we pull out the yellow pages. If the worship style changes, we go to First Church's early service. If our Sunday School class starts to get too impersonal, we don't sweat it; we try the hot new church in town..I can't help but think this must make God sad....If you jump ship when things get tough, you'll condemn yourself to one long journey of spiritual superficiality." He goes on to give the example of his parents who have attended the same church for decades. He says, "...they'll look back and savor the memories a lifetime of faithful participation in one congregation brings. They'll look back and relish the dangerous conversations they didn't avoid, sins they were encouraged to confront, and authentic Christian friendships it took a lifetime to develop."
Just a few examples of the kind of personal, heartfelt conversations that this book makes you feel like you are having.
November 7, 2019
The problem of evil or why God allows suffering to those who are apparently innocent of wrongdoing has been subject of many books, both from the perspective of the believer and the sceptic. Many of them are rather dense and exhaustive, covering the topic with intense intellectual rigor. This is understandable given the gravity of the topic and the impact it had made on so many lives.
This book is not like that. One could even say it is intentional in its avoidance of the academic theology that characterizes many of the works in this area. That is one reason why I liked it so much. Instead Jones draws on his vast pastoral experience and his own struggle with the doubt that this issue can engender to draw the reader into a conversation about how God might be using the suffering of the innocent to bring about His purposes.
If you are looking for airtight answers to ethical dilemmas that confound your sense of what a good God should do or allow you probably wont find them here. But you’ll get lots of endearing anecdotes about real flesh and blood people who faced down their suffering with a tenacious trust in a good God and found that faith sustained them through their trials and doubts despite the fact that one could poke a philosophical hole in the basis for that trust.
The conversational style of the writing and the vulnerability Jones displays in speaking of his own struggles made this an impactful read for me. I expect that it would be for many whose circumstances have them raising questions about God’s goodness.
This book is not like that. One could even say it is intentional in its avoidance of the academic theology that characterizes many of the works in this area. That is one reason why I liked it so much. Instead Jones draws on his vast pastoral experience and his own struggle with the doubt that this issue can engender to draw the reader into a conversation about how God might be using the suffering of the innocent to bring about His purposes.
If you are looking for airtight answers to ethical dilemmas that confound your sense of what a good God should do or allow you probably wont find them here. But you’ll get lots of endearing anecdotes about real flesh and blood people who faced down their suffering with a tenacious trust in a good God and found that faith sustained them through their trials and doubts despite the fact that one could poke a philosophical hole in the basis for that trust.
The conversational style of the writing and the vulnerability Jones displays in speaking of his own struggles made this an impactful read for me. I expect that it would be for many whose circumstances have them raising questions about God’s goodness.
September 14, 2017
In the midst of suffering we search for meaning.
The title draws the broken in. Those seeking to understand a God who didn't prevent, protect, or do what we pleaded for him to do. In the middle of a season of suffering I need to know there is a plan. There is a purpose. All that I endure can lead me to a greater hope; if I can manage to hold on and stop trying so hard to understand what can not be understood this side of heaven. I gave it four stars rather than five only because I felt like there was a lot of quotes and references to others pain but the Author did not delve deep enough into his own suffering. I know there is more to the story. I would recommend to anyone who has ever endured suffering and felt like what do I do with all that I have learned through this. I was Inspired to use my story for God's glory.
The title draws the broken in. Those seeking to understand a God who didn't prevent, protect, or do what we pleaded for him to do. In the middle of a season of suffering I need to know there is a plan. There is a purpose. All that I endure can lead me to a greater hope; if I can manage to hold on and stop trying so hard to understand what can not be understood this side of heaven. I gave it four stars rather than five only because I felt like there was a lot of quotes and references to others pain but the Author did not delve deep enough into his own suffering. I know there is more to the story. I would recommend to anyone who has ever endured suffering and felt like what do I do with all that I have learned through this. I was Inspired to use my story for God's glory.
June 9, 2020
I felt like this book was more a journey into the authors own experiences rather than biblically leading you to knowing God more. I was also a little skeptical of his relationship with God and where he actually stood in regards to salvation. What he based his entrance into heaven on, almost seems like works based.
January 5, 2018
Wow was this book meaningful and powerful!!
August 10, 2017
Perhaps i was expecting too much. After all, how can a mortal have reasonable answers to questions like these? I was encouraged by the fact that the author knows what suffering is, so he did not bring his statements from a safe and unreliable distance. Somehow he got convinced that God is love and it's all worth it, so perhaps, silly me thought, he could mentor me into a more positive God-image as well? Well, he couldn't. Some of his answers were vague and seemed incomplete, others downright axiomatic.
Three stars are for his honesty and him quoting from classics. I respect him because he is well-read and not afraid to face and mention the rawness of life.
The tone of his book is set around the idea that when you're facing trouble in your life, God is working upstream in your life, out of sight. That's why you can't see him and can't make sense of it. To support this argument he uses the example of the Israelites having to cross the river Jordan to reach the promised land. They could not cross because at that time of year the river was overflowing but then God performed a miracle about nineteen miles upstream from where the Israelites stood, far beyond what they could see: God caused the river to pile high into a heap upstream at the town of Adam. The riverbed dried up and the Israelites could cross.
My question is: the Israelites could see the riverbed dry up though right? So the fact that God was helping them was still pretty visible. So huh i just don't get it. When i am facing trouble and suddenly the problem is solved but i can't see how or by whom (because it happened 'upstream') i would still be very happy. When a problem does not get solved there still is no answer.
You had to bury your child after a tragic accident and your head is ringing with the deafening despair of WHY and the answer is that God is working upstream? Fuck that. Sorry.
Another argument that i found hard to digest was:
'God's agenda is not happiness because God knows happiness doesn't last for more than an hour (Strongly disagree and where did he learn to read Gods mind?). It's much deeper. God is interested in transformation, in deep, lasting and profound change in our lives. This kind of change rarely comes from spending our lives chasing happiness the way a child chases a butterfly. Breathtaking transformation comes through trials. Not one trial, but various trials of many kinds.'
So... transformation (the process) becomes a goal in itself? Argument seems pretty circular to me.
He goes on by quoting Malcolm Muggeridge: 'everything i have learned in my seventy-five years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness.'
I just find it hard to believe that it's as black-and-white as this. It's not either-or in my opinion.
I loved the advice that when you're in the dark and find it hard to pray, 'sometimes the only way to touch the hem of Jesus' garments is by serving others.' 'It wasn't until i began to take the focus off myself that i was able to allow my soul the space and time to heal.' Now that's something i liked.
And i loved the following quotes:
'When indeed does the temporal suffering oppress a man most terribly? Is it not when it seems to him that it has no significance, that it neither secures nor gains anything for him? Is it not when the suffering, as the impatient man expresses it, is without meaning or purpose?' - Soren Kierkegaard
'I supplicated, i demanded a sign, i sent messages to Heaven, no reply. Heaven ignored my very name. Each minute i wondered what i could BE in the eyes of God. Now i know the answer: nothing. God does not see me, God does not hear me, God does not know me. You see this emptiness over our heads? That is God. You see this gap in the door? It is God. You see that hole in the ground? That is God again. Silence is God. Absense is God. God is the loneliness of man.' - JP Sarte in The Devil And The Good Lord
Three stars are for his honesty and him quoting from classics. I respect him because he is well-read and not afraid to face and mention the rawness of life.
The tone of his book is set around the idea that when you're facing trouble in your life, God is working upstream in your life, out of sight. That's why you can't see him and can't make sense of it. To support this argument he uses the example of the Israelites having to cross the river Jordan to reach the promised land. They could not cross because at that time of year the river was overflowing but then God performed a miracle about nineteen miles upstream from where the Israelites stood, far beyond what they could see: God caused the river to pile high into a heap upstream at the town of Adam. The riverbed dried up and the Israelites could cross.
My question is: the Israelites could see the riverbed dry up though right? So the fact that God was helping them was still pretty visible. So huh i just don't get it. When i am facing trouble and suddenly the problem is solved but i can't see how or by whom (because it happened 'upstream') i would still be very happy. When a problem does not get solved there still is no answer.
You had to bury your child after a tragic accident and your head is ringing with the deafening despair of WHY and the answer is that God is working upstream? Fuck that. Sorry.
Another argument that i found hard to digest was:
'God's agenda is not happiness because God knows happiness doesn't last for more than an hour (Strongly disagree and where did he learn to read Gods mind?). It's much deeper. God is interested in transformation, in deep, lasting and profound change in our lives. This kind of change rarely comes from spending our lives chasing happiness the way a child chases a butterfly. Breathtaking transformation comes through trials. Not one trial, but various trials of many kinds.'
So... transformation (the process) becomes a goal in itself? Argument seems pretty circular to me.
He goes on by quoting Malcolm Muggeridge: 'everything i have learned in my seventy-five years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness.'
I just find it hard to believe that it's as black-and-white as this. It's not either-or in my opinion.
I loved the advice that when you're in the dark and find it hard to pray, 'sometimes the only way to touch the hem of Jesus' garments is by serving others.' 'It wasn't until i began to take the focus off myself that i was able to allow my soul the space and time to heal.' Now that's something i liked.
And i loved the following quotes:
'When indeed does the temporal suffering oppress a man most terribly? Is it not when it seems to him that it has no significance, that it neither secures nor gains anything for him? Is it not when the suffering, as the impatient man expresses it, is without meaning or purpose?' - Soren Kierkegaard
'I supplicated, i demanded a sign, i sent messages to Heaven, no reply. Heaven ignored my very name. Each minute i wondered what i could BE in the eyes of God. Now i know the answer: nothing. God does not see me, God does not hear me, God does not know me. You see this emptiness over our heads? That is God. You see this gap in the door? It is God. You see that hole in the ground? That is God again. Silence is God. Absense is God. God is the loneliness of man.' - JP Sarte in The Devil And The Good Lord
December 10, 2012
Part one
It takes me awhile to work through the stack of books accumulating in different piles around the house. Last summer, an author sent me a book that I hope to review here soon and I just had to share an "ah-ha" moment Brian Jones, the author of Second Guessing God, unpacks.
Jones takes the reader to Joshua 3 where the Isrealites are guided to the banks of the Jordan to prepare to cross into the Promised Land. The Jordan that time of year is overflowing and God has to do a miracle if He expects His Chosen to cross over. The Bible narrative says that God caused the river to pile high into a heap upstream at the town of Adam.
Scholars estimate the town of Adam was roughly nineteen miles upstream from where the Isrealites stood, far beyond where they could see. It was a miracle, but it was a miracle the people didn't witness with their own eyes. God performed the miracle upstream, out of their sight.
I believe the same situation occurs in our lives today. Here's the powerful truth:God is always at work upstream in our lives.---Brian Jones, p. 35
I'm looking forward to the rest of the book.
http://mondokblog.blogspot.com/2008/0...
Part two
I took time to read this book after I put Allie down for a nap every afternoon a chore I didn't look forward to, by the way. But reading time has been scarce for me since we started taking care of this little girl and this became a time of day I looked forward to everyday and I anticipated reading through a chapter of Brian Jones' book every afternoon.
I have lived through the darkest year of my life and I've turned to books like this to help me put things in perspective. The simplicity of Jones' writing and very accessible wisdom have helped me do just that. This book is definitely worth your time. If you're a counselor or pastor or find yourself often comforting others, this book is a must read.
http://mondokblog.blogspot.com/2008/0...
It takes me awhile to work through the stack of books accumulating in different piles around the house. Last summer, an author sent me a book that I hope to review here soon and I just had to share an "ah-ha" moment Brian Jones, the author of Second Guessing God, unpacks.
Jones takes the reader to Joshua 3 where the Isrealites are guided to the banks of the Jordan to prepare to cross into the Promised Land. The Jordan that time of year is overflowing and God has to do a miracle if He expects His Chosen to cross over. The Bible narrative says that God caused the river to pile high into a heap upstream at the town of Adam.
Scholars estimate the town of Adam was roughly nineteen miles upstream from where the Isrealites stood, far beyond where they could see. It was a miracle, but it was a miracle the people didn't witness with their own eyes. God performed the miracle upstream, out of their sight.
I believe the same situation occurs in our lives today. Here's the powerful truth:God is always at work upstream in our lives.---Brian Jones, p. 35
I'm looking forward to the rest of the book.
http://mondokblog.blogspot.com/2008/0...
Part two
I took time to read this book after I put Allie down for a nap every afternoon a chore I didn't look forward to, by the way. But reading time has been scarce for me since we started taking care of this little girl and this became a time of day I looked forward to everyday and I anticipated reading through a chapter of Brian Jones' book every afternoon.
I have lived through the darkest year of my life and I've turned to books like this to help me put things in perspective. The simplicity of Jones' writing and very accessible wisdom have helped me do just that. This book is definitely worth your time. If you're a counselor or pastor or find yourself often comforting others, this book is a must read.
http://mondokblog.blogspot.com/2008/0...
March 30, 2010
pearls of wisdom include chapter about God working upstream in your life-He performs miracles but not in plain sight; and the idea of miralcles taking time. There is a reason God is refered to as the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob, because God does His best work over generations, not overnight. Also the author discusses a time when he felt that spiritually he was standing on sand that was slowly drifting out to sea. A friend tell him that we all feel that way at times, but once the sand has complelely washed away we will find we are standing on a rock.
October 29, 2015
Amazing!
I thought this book was a real inspiration for all people. Get out there and help each other, love each other. Help someone or a business in need. It might bring you closer to God.
I thought this book was a real inspiration for all people. Get out there and help each other, love each other. Help someone or a business in need. It might bring you closer to God.
April 24, 2008
real good stuff. great to read if you have questions or doubts or worries about who God is or where He is in times of crisis.
August 16, 2011
Clear and concise, a more personal look at theodicy than the general theological works.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews