By Irene Howat
Christian Focus. 190 pages. £4.99
ISBN 185792121 6
This book brings together personal accounts from 12 Christian believers who have experienced crises in their lives where their faith has been tested to the limit. They give honest accounts of their struggles, confusion and pain, but also affirm God's faithfulness in such dark times.
The experiences recounted include disabling illness, marital betrayal, a child murdered, a spouse imprisoned, difficult working situations and loneliness. One of the contributors has since died; others have experienced healing or restoration to some degree. All share their conviction that God has been at work in their lives through the difficult times.
There are many books in which Christians tell of difficult experiences. What is distinctive about this one? All the contributors come from within the 'reformed' tradition - most are Scottish - and although they convey a deep sense of intimacy with God, discovered through times of suffering and pain, this is not associated with any superspiritual experiences. One after another, they share how God spoke to them through their regular reading of his Word, as particular verses of Scripture took on a new reality for them. A lesson to us all perhaps, that it is the habits of listening to God established in our everyday routines that enable us to hear his voice clearly when we are in greatest need.
