Monday, August 11, 2014

If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn

When I received this book in the mail, my eyes got really big...this is a 494 page book with small print!  I feared I was in store for some dry reading.  Thankfully, first impressions are not always accurate.  This book does take a long time to read, but simply because it contains so much thoughtful content that I didn't want to skim through anything!  It really is written in a format that is easy to read and meaningful.

Why spend your time reading so many pages?  Well... have you ever wondered how God can be all-powerful, all-knowing, and completely good, yet still permit evil and suffering?  This question is the reason some people reject God all together.  Others are able to push past it, yet still question why.  This is especially true when suffering arrives on our doorsteps.  Randy Alcorn writes, "We dare not wait for the time of crisis to learn perspective....Studying about evil and suffering doesn't equal facing it, but the study and discussion can go a long way in preparing us for it.  It will provide a reservoir of perspective from which we can draw.  It will minimize disorientation and panic when we plunge into life's turbulence.  This is why I encourage you to meditate on and discuss with others the themes of this book."  This topic is so tough because there are no neat and tidy answers.  However, this book does an excellent job of laying all those questions on the table and providing some answers and perspective through the use of Scripture, analogies, testimonies, and other sources.

One unique text feature that I like is that the author puts all of his main points in bold-face print.  If you want a quick preview (or review) of what is in a chapter, you could flip through and read the main points easily.  There is also a Scripture Index and Topical Index at the back of the book for easy reference.

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to strengthen their faith in the midst of suffering and evil. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Multnomah Publishing in exchange for an honest review.