Philip Yancey

As a young teenager, I remember picking up one of Philip Yancey’s books (Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, coauthored with Paul Brand), and being drawn in by his perspective and the stories he had to tell. After that, I knew I wanted to read more of his writings, so I started collecting his books whenever I came across them. Collecting books is one thing; getting around to reading them is something else entirely. But I did manage to pick up What Good is God over the last month, and I quickly grew to appreciate Yancey’s writing style and perspective all over again.

As a collection of ten different talks Yancey has given over the years, this book can tend to feel slightly disconnected, but viewed across the broad span of the book, the main theme—seeking to know and understand more of God’s faithfulness even in the most trying circumstances—shines through brilliantly.

I found this book both challenging and inspiring. Challenging, because some of the situations Yancey describes are ones I would find incredibly uncomfortable to navigate. Inspiring, because Yancey manages to pull deep life lessons—and astute observations and conclusions—out of all his varied experiences. Through it all, a thread of faithful perseverance and trust in the Lord is encouraged and lived out.

This was a book I’ll be mulling over for a long time. It’s going down as one of the books I saved the most quotes from in 2023—there was a lot of gentle wisdom in these pages, as well as clarity of thought about situations I’ve never considered before.

If you enjoy being pushed outside of your comfort zone by what you’re reading at times, or enjoy getting a different perspective on the world, or generally want to grow in your Christian faith, I’d highly recommend you pick up this book. It’s a gem, and I’m sure I’ll want to read it again someday!… (mere)