Trusting God for Everything: Psalm 23 Jan Johnson

[Jean Jenkins]

Trusting God for Everything: Psalm 23
Jan Johnson

NavPress

http://www.navpress.com/product/9781600066610/Trusting-God-for-Everything-Psalm-23-Jan-Johnson

 

Fear and worry stalked me through childhood into adulthood, accosting me whenever I faced problems. So I was drawn to this book because I believe trusting God is the antidote to worry. The 94-page book, intended as a guide for a personal retreat, reflects on trusting God no matter what we face.

After a brief introduction which describes how to use the book for a day-long or weekend retreat, the book has seven chapters, intended for seven retreat sessions. Each chapter follows the same format, introducing the focus verse in several different translations and explaining the background and meaning of the words. The author then asks you to reflect on the verse, entering into a dialogue with God about its meaning for your life. Each session ends with a prayer by Thérèse of Lisieux.

Starting with “Does God Really Provide Everything I Need?” the author covers the 23^rd Psalm verse by verse, tackling topics such as “Trusting God for Soul Restoration” and “Trusting God with Those Who Oppose Me.” My favorite meditation was “Trusting that God is With Me” which recommended setting an empty chair next to your seat and imagining God sitting there. This exercise helped me recognize what I’ve been trying to hide from both God and myself. Working through the sessions deepened my understanding of God’s trustworthiness and gave me a new perspective on a familiar Psalm. Although the chapters are repetitious, I didn’t find that to be a hindrance—in fact I may repeat some of the sessions.

This book would be valuable for anyone who struggles to trust God. As you might expect, simply reading through the book is of little value; it’s important to engage in the exercises as the author suggests. But I think you can use the book in many settings; I worked through some of the sessions in bustling airports and still found them meaningful.

Is the 23^rd Psalm so familiar that you’ve lost sight of its meaning?

Do you find it hard to trust God?

[Janice S. Garey]

I am attracted to the title of this book, also.  Thank you for the review. I have never been on such a retreat and it sounds like it would be profitable to have a lengthy amount of time solely spent focused on God's presence.