A Year With God

A Year With God by R.P.Nettelhorst is a daily reading devotional book providing an overview of God at work in the Old Testament.

Compiled into sections highlighting facets of God’s character (such as love, forgiveness, mercy, faith…), each reading begins with a passage from the Old Testament followed by a brief, devotional commentary. Sometimes the commentary expounds the Scripture cited for that day’s reading; other times the author points to other relevant passages that add clarity.

This book is a great tool for those who’d like to grow in their understanding of the Old Testament. I wouldn’t, however, recommend it for new converts and babes in Christ because it’s hard reading.

My criticism of the book would be in the following areas:
* The use of different Bible translations is distracting.
* There are a number of serious editing mistakes including mixing up Bible characters.
* There’s no bio. (Many readers want to know what makes the author an expert on their subject before they’ll believe a book’s content.)

Overall, though, this book is a great daily read to help you know God more deeply via the Old Testament.

As a Booksneeze blogger I received this book courtesy of Thomas Nelson publishers.

Janey L. DeMeo M.A.

Copyright©December 2010
www.orphansfirst.org www.JaneyDeMeo.com
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Searching for God Knows What

From Adam to Eve to potential visiting aliens, in Searching for God Knows What, Don Miller explores the human dilemma in his typical humorous, thought-probing style. Humans are both complex and simple, entangled in a web of fallen selfhood. Our biggest search – or felt-need – is for significance.

We spend our lives striving for identity and acceptance, subconsciously yielding to, as Miller puts it, a “jury of peers,” seeking their endorsement. Like people in a lifeboat, we strive for survival in a hierarchy based on humanly perceived worth. We hope to make it but we always fall short. No amount of human approval fulfills us and replaces what we lost in the Garden—our relationship with God.

Miller explains our hopelessly hollow hearts and desire for significance in his 5-point Genesis Theory. We are broken. Only Jesus can fix us. And He does this through relationship.

This book answers a lot of questions and could really help people in marriage, or any other kind of relationship. My only criticism: I had to read some sentences twice because of an absence of punctuation which, while expressing Miller’s unique voice, obscures the meaning. Still, this book’s a great read for both seekers and mature Christians alike.

Janey L. DeMeo M.A.
Copyright © June 2010

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www.JaneyDeMeo.com
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