Taking God At His Word

Taking God At His Word (Idaho Falls Library Call Number – 220.1 DEYOUNG)

“Why the Bible is knowable, necessary, and enough, and what that means for you and me”

Publisher – Crossway: Wheaton, Illinois, 2014

As a pastor ministering among a church family named after the Bereans, the front cover of this book immediately grabbed my attention. To be a Berean, one must first understand how to pronounce it and then discover the context of the apostle Paul’s relationship to Jews who lived in ancient Berea and what they practiced. Acts 17 shares the story. Then one ought to do what the Bereans did: they compared the teachings that they were hearing with the Scriptures. In this process of study, the ancient Bereans believed in Christ. And the same is true for today.

Kevin begins the book by talking about relationships. If you love someone, you want to be around the person. You want to hear the person’s voice. Your emotions are affected. This is all true about our relationship with God and His words. To illustrate this, read Psalm 119. Kevin explores the delight, the desire, and the dependence of the author for God’s commandments. Typically, students don’t write up on the white boards before class these words for their teachers, but the psalmist boldy proclaims his passion for the words of the Master Teacher:

And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love. (Psalm 119:47)

A number of issues trouble people today about the Bible. For instance, swayed by the theories of higher criticism, (1) certain religious people appeal to reason and rational thought. They tend to disbelieve in the accuracy and trustworthiness of certain portions in Scripture. (2) Others might be tempted with the popular notion that the Bible just isn’t enough. They seek spiritual revelation above and beyond to satisfy their restlessness or emptiness. And yet for some, (3) they seek God on the lakes, in the forests, or on the tops of mountains. They desire to discover God through nature and not through Scripture. (4) Finally, some state that the Bible is just too confusing. They argue for you to simply look at all the denominations in town and the various interpretations debated among Christians. Have you ever been troubled by any of these particular discussions? If so, I would suggest you pick up a copy of Kevin’s book and read it.

In Taking God at His Word, the author does an excellent job of strengthening your heart to believe God’s Holy Word. He touches on serious foundations but does not write with technical, theological jargon. He’s funny, not boring. I highly recommend the book to elders and deacons, Sunday school teachers, and nursery workers. It is a good read for everyone who sits in the Sunday pews. And it’s a quick read. The book is a slim 124 pages, complete with a general index, scripture index, and an appendix on DeYoung’s best recommendation of other books dealing with the Bible.

Be a Berean. Let this be our motto: “Always the Word.” May the living Word reign as we seek and hear Him in the written Word.