Book Review - The Hand of God by Alistair Begg

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Are we hapless victims of life's whims? Are we driven along by some blind and impersonal force? Are we battered by circumstances beyond all control?

A thousand times, "No!" says pastor and author Alistair Begg. Instead, Begg says we are the objects of God's providential care. We reside under His guiding and protecting hand.

In this richly textured study of Joseph's life, readers will see God at work shaping Joseph's circumstances so that he can ultimately redeem and reconcile his family. And they'll see the hand of God in their own lives, lovingly guiding them through their disappointments and struggles to a place of peace.

It's an amazing and comforting fact: God rules and overrules in the circumstances of life.

God's authority is neither capricious nor vindictive—quite the contrary—God works through the circumstances of life to bring about something miraculous, something abundantly good, even out of what we perceive to be our darkest moments. We can entrust the baggage of our past, the fears of our present, and the prospects of our future to the God who cares.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alistair Begg was born in Scotland and spent the first 30 years of life in the United Kingdom. From there he went to Trent University, London School of Theology, and Westminster Seminary. Following graduation, he served in two Scottish churches, first as an assistant pastor at Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh, and then as pastor of Hamilton Baptist Church, Glasgow. Since September of 1983, he has been the senior pastor at Parkside Church in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. During this time he has been increasingly involved in an international ministry of teaching and evangelism. He is the daily speaker on the national radio program Truth For Life which stems from his weekly Bible teaching at Parkside, and is the author of Made For His Pleasure, Lasting Love: How to Avoid Marital Failure, What Angels Wish They Knew, and The Hand of God. He was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from Cedarville University. He and his wife, Susan, have three grown children.

MY REVIEW:

This book is so incredibly easy to read and understand. I love that Alistair takes the story of Joseph, which we all know in one way or another (as he points out, most know about his multi-color coat), and gives it more depth and makes it relevant to our own life. He also ties Romans 8 into the story and explains why we can trust God in our lives.

Mr. Begg shows us how Joseph was strong in his faith and trusted God in all circumstances. He explains how God's promise to work things out for our good is so evident in all the circumstances of Joseph's life.

Another thing you can trust is that this book is Biblical. Alistair Begg is a pastor who teaches Biblical truths in a way that is relate-able and trustworthy. I listen to his radio program daily and his teaching is always excellent, just like this book.

I loved how he explains that Joseph's character was developing despite the conflict in his own family as a child and young man. His faith in God was developing and growing strong despite the opposition he received from his brothers. This was very encouraging to me as we all can grow our character despite our circumstances and, sometimes, because of them.

I came away from this book knowing that I can trust God and that He will work all my circumstances out for my good. I also loved that he encouraged us to use our gifts and reach out to others even as we get older. It's a wonderful book that I can highly recommend to everyone. I give this book 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me by Moody Publishers. I received a copy of this book to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this book.


Blessings - Julie