The longer I live the more I am introduced to and reminded of pain and hurt. A believer’s life is not immune from it – we just have help and a Healer when we experience it.
And hopefully, we can share that help and Healer with others who are going through pain.
The book Come Empty by Saundra Dalton Smith is good on many levels:
- Her transparency. I love that there are people in the world who are hurting, who have been hurt, and know that they have the freedom to share that hurt. Not everyone is given that freedom for fear of guilt, shame, or rejection. I think that is something we in the church can be more aware of and open to. Not shunning people who are in pain, but helping them with the purity of the Gospel in their pain.
- Her use of Scripture. I do love that this book is full of the Word of God – because through the Word we receive healing.
- Short reads. I know in periods of hurt, I might not be able to emotionally handle a long chapter, or a lengthy book. Short daily readings are great.
One negative: This book is in the same family as Jesus Calling in one regard: there is a His Reply section and the author puts it in first person, so it is as if Jesus is actually speaking these words to her. And if He is, then these words are infallible and perfect, on the same par with Scripture. Scripture is the only Scripture. It is one thing to give readers Scriptures that they can internalize, but another to say that the Lord is actually speaking these words.
Thanks Litfuse and Dr. Smith for the book and all opinions are my own.