Saturday, December 18, 2010

Book Review: Voices of the Faithful

I seem to be on a kick, looking for that perfect daily devotional or something.  So I welcomed the chance to check out Voices of the Faithful with Beth Moore.  Moore wrote the introductions for each month, and the introduction to the book... but the daily devotions were written by missionaries from around the world.

From the publisher:
"A willingness to go is all they have in common," says Beth Moore, speaking of her friends on the front lines who are spreading the gospel around the world and with whom she collaborated to create this book. This brilliant, 366-day devotional features incredible stories of God's faithfulness in the face of uncertainty and danger, written by hundreds of missionaries worldwide.
With a foreword by International Mission Board president Jerry Rankin and an introduction by Beth, this volume also includes advice on how to hear God's voice, pray for missionaries, and understand the church's and individual's role in missions.
I love this book.  Each month is organized into a theme.  December is Christmas Around the World, and Beth's introduction makes you think about what it would be like to celebrate Christmas in some of the places these missionaries serve, with nobody around who sees Christmas as special.  The individual devotions are touching and real.  I truly look forward to reading this each day.

Having used Sonlight curriculum, with its emphasis on missionaries, for most of the last decade, some of the things mentioned in Beth's comments (or in other reviews) don't really apply to me.  My family definitely knows that missionaries are real people and an incredibly varied lot.  And we've had plenty of opportunities to discuss and pray for them and the communities they serve.  I can see where this would be a fabulous introduction to the whole idea of missions, though.  And for me, it is a daily uplifting reminder of the work that is being done worldwide.

My plan for the book was to read a chunk, write this review, and then shelve it until January 1. However, I'm continuing to read.  And next December, I expect to be looking for Voices of the Faithful, Book 2.  I could request to review it, but I think I'll leave that for someone else right now.

I'm also seriously considering reading it aloud next time we do Sonlight Core 5.

Disclaimer:  As Booksneeze Blogger, I did receive this book for free from Thomas Nelson.  No other compensation was received.  For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.

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