In his calling as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church, Kelly Vander Woude learned that every person struggles in their relationship with God, but many people are afraid to admit it. Vander Woude assures readers in this in-depth devotional on the psalms that it’s okay to acknowledge that our relationship with God has its highs and lows. He explains, “The truth is that following God can be messy. Not because God drags us into messy situations but because we find that our messy selves follow us into whatever situation we’re in.” Vander Woude encourages readers to wrestle with God by entering into “the truths expressed by the psalmists and work to understand their wrestling with God.”
Vander Woude’s devotions require more than a quick read. In each, he encourages readers to begin by spending time with the psalm, includes the historical context and meaning of the psalm, shares words in the psalm that caught his attention and personal insights about the psalm, and offers three questions to help readers delve deeper into the psalm’s meaning on their own.
Vander Woude’s prayer for readers is that God’s Spirit will open their hearts to his living Word—“a Word reminding us daily, with every stroke of the pen, that these writers thrust us forward into God’s limitless love and the hope he offers.” Readers who spend time with The Honesty of the Psalms are sure to be encouraged, challenged, and inspired in their relationship with God. (Credo House Publishers)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.