Rating: 4/5
Unglued Devotional by Lysa Terkeurst
201 pages
Barnes and Noble (9.98 paperback, 8.99 Nook)
"Turst in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6)
My sister-in-law was the first person to introduce me to Lysa Terkeurst's new book, Unglued: Making wise choices in the midst of raw emotions around Christmas time. At first I wasn't sure if this book would be of any help towards me, but then realized, after reading a couple of chapters, that sometimes we all need a bite in the butt to be more who God wants us to be. I thought I could just write a review about this devotional, but a lot of what comes out of the devotioinal is from her original book. I found that if I wanted a quick reminder of the book, I would look through the devotional.
For me, I decided to read the book and the devotional at the same time; kind of comparing the two as I read.
As I read a realized that you won't need the original book at all to get the most out of this book; in fact, if you just want a devotional with the same about of information, this book would be great for you.
The summary of the book is simple:
- Watch what you say
- Find out why you acted the way you did
- Don't do it again.
This devotional is about finding yourself and opening yourself up to the struggles you are faced with and learning how to be stronger in your own skin and your walk with Christ.
Rating: 5/5 stars
The Voice: New Testament
At Barnes and Noble: Hardcover ($22.98) eBook ($21.99)
"The Voice uniquely represents collaboration among scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and other artists. The goal is to create the finest Bible products to help believers experience the joy and wonder of God's revelation"
Sometimes, as a Christian, it's hard to step out of the norm you are used to when reading the Bible. I like to read my NIV Bible because it still captures the beauty of the language (sometimes making it hard to understand), but I'm able to, maybe after reading it a couple of times, to fully understand the Word of God. I'm no expert at interpreting the Bible. I don't know many people who say they are. I do, however, know God works through each and every one of us, and the authors of The Voice kept the beauty of God's word, but translated in a way that any reader could understand.
What I enjoyed most about reading The Voice is that is took the Word of God and made it relatable to our society we live in, just like a Pastor would do during a sermon.
Here is a snippet from Romans 12:1 from The Voice:
"1. Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God's mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship"
Now, here is the same verse from the NIV version:
"1.Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice-alive, holy, and pleasing to God-which is your reasonable service."
As you can see, the meaning is still the same, but the wording is different. On the bottom of this page, there is commentary about the first two verses in Romans 12 in The Voice which is definitely helpful in interpreting the text.
Though this post seems a little scattered brain, the message is simple. If you like different interpretations, either for your entertainment or for dissecting the Bible, then The Voice is something to have on the shelf!
