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Customer Reviews for Thomas Nelson God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Thomas Nelson God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Experience a life-changing encounter with God through these thought-provoking daily readings! In his warm, conversational style, Crabb highlights God's message in each of 40 Old and New Testament texts, unpacks the meaning to help you understand what God is saying, and shows how our lives fit into God's larger story. 144 pages, softcover from Nelson.
Average Customer Rating:
(26 Reviews) 26
Rating Snapshot (26 reviews)
5 stars
10
4 stars
9
3 stars
3
2 stars
4
1 star
0
22 out of 2685%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Review 1 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
a must read!
Date:August 22, 2012
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
One book made up of 66 individual writings... much like the Bible itself. After making this jump, the stories came to life... I learn something new every time as I am a new creation every time I read it. It is like an onion and the layers are peeling away and I am able to see and learn more about our amazing God.I would encourage anyone to read this book, and to enjoy reading Gods love letters to His people. The only problem I had with the book is I thought sometimes there were putting words into God mouth. It should only be used as a tool to help with reflecting & understanding of the written word of God. I loved the title and the cover, and I really wanted to just sit and immerse myself in the love of God.I feel this book has rooted me in the word of God and I will be reading it for years to come over and over again. It would make a great devotional book though.
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Review 2 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Date:November 11, 2011
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
God's Love Letters to You - A 40-Day Devotional Experience by Dr. Larry Crabb is just that - a poetic devotional experience. Each days devo begins with God says...which I find very comforting as it highlights God's TRUTH. The author highlights God's promises to His children. Reflection questions are thought provoking and insightful. Prayer and meditation is in my opinion what you will need to honestly answer the questions the author puts forth. To truly get a sense or understanding of what the author is trying to explain-reading the corresponding book of the Bible that relates to each days devotion is needed which may be a reason the author wrote this book. The devo's covering the books of Ruth, 2nd Chronicles and Daniel were the one's that spoke to me the strongest. This book is geared to adults, I would recommend. It is worth your time.
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Review 3 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Nice quick devotional on God's expressions of love
Date:October 11, 2011
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
God’s Love Letters to You is a 40 day devotional by Larry Crabb, and the latest book that I’ve received from Thomas Nelson for reviewing it. It says that it’s actually based on another of his books called 66 Love Letters, however, I haven’t read that book, so it was new to me, and I can’t really say anything on comparison.
Each devotional takes lists a particular book of the bible, and has a verse from it, and then has a short passage written from the perspective of God as to ways that his love is shown through that book, in the form of a note from him.
It then has a few questions to think about, and a prompt to start you off in prayer.
These are a quick read, shorter than I had expected… probably about 5 minutes for most people depending how much time you spend on the questions.
A lot of them were really interesting though… ways that I really hadn’t looked at different happenings as ways he was showing his love.
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Review 4 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Very good
Date:September 17, 2011
omar
Location:South Carolina
Age:55-65
Gender:male
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
3
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
Still in the process of reading this. It is a 40 day event. So far the words have been comforting as I usually read it at bedtime.
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Review 5 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Not as spectacular as I hoped
Date:August 23, 2011
Quality:
3
out of
5
Value:
2
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
2
out of
5
God’s Love Letters to You by Dr. Larry Crabb is designed to be a forty day devotional experience. Each day includes a key verse, what “God says,” thought provoking questions, and a short prayer. Being a “God lover,” I liked the idea of a book of love letters from His heart to mine.
Many of these devotions really challenge your thinking, daring you to choose a higher path, even when it doesn’t seem safest. Dr. Crabb certainly has a way with words, and he draws some striking parallels. I enjoyed many of these “love letters.” Much of what is written here is good but there was one consistent error. Dr. Crabb refers to the trinity throughout the book, dividing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit into three different persons.
The Bible clearly states, very repeatedly, that God is the Father, Son and Spirit in One. (See Deut. 6:4; Is. 44:6-8; Is. 45:5-7; Is. 45:21-23; Is. 46:9; Mk. 12:28-34; Jn. 1:1; Jn. 1:10; Jn. 1:14; Jn. 4:23-24; Jn. 8:24; Jn. 8:58-59; Jn. 10:30; Jn. 10:37-38; Jn. 14:6-11; Jn. 14:17; Acts 17:31; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Eph. 4:5-6; Philip. 2:5-11; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 4:15; James 2:19; Rev. 4:2) As a firm believer in the Bible’s teachings on deity, I grew weary of the constant referral to three separate entities. This really took from the book’s otherwise good points for me.
God’s Love Letters to You does, in some spots, have a way of drawing you into a deeper love relationship with the Creator. The questions force you to dig deep inside yourself and peel back layers of fear, selfishness, and pride, among other things. The focus verses could also be good for memorization.
All things considered, I give this book 2 stars.
Many of these devotions really challenge your thinking, daring you to choose a higher path, even when it doesn’t seem safest. Dr. Crabb certainly has a way with words, and he draws some striking parallels. I enjoyed many of these “love letters.” Much of what is written here is good but there was one consistent error. Dr. Crabb refers to the trinity throughout the book, dividing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit into three different persons.
The Bible clearly states, very repeatedly, that God is the Father, Son and Spirit in One. (See Deut. 6:4; Is. 44:6-8; Is. 45:5-7; Is. 45:21-23; Is. 46:9; Mk. 12:28-34; Jn. 1:1; Jn. 1:10; Jn. 1:14; Jn. 4:23-24; Jn. 8:24; Jn. 8:58-59; Jn. 10:30; Jn. 10:37-38; Jn. 14:6-11; Jn. 14:17; Acts 17:31; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Eph. 4:5-6; Philip. 2:5-11; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 4:15; James 2:19; Rev. 4:2) As a firm believer in the Bible’s teachings on deity, I grew weary of the constant referral to three separate entities. This really took from the book’s otherwise good points for me.
God’s Love Letters to You does, in some spots, have a way of drawing you into a deeper love relationship with the Creator. The questions force you to dig deep inside yourself and peel back layers of fear, selfishness, and pride, among other things. The focus verses could also be good for memorization.
All things considered, I give this book 2 stars.
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Review 6 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Less than What I Expected
Date:August 22, 2011
Stlphotogirl
Location:Saint Louis, MO
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality:
2
out of
5
Value:
2
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
1
out of
5
Recently I was looking for some new devotional so I was totally stoked when I saw that “God’s Love Letters to You” was up for review. I thought…what a great opportunity. I read the description on the website and the back of the book and I was really excited about this book. Sadly, I was very disappointed.
Dr. Larry Crabb has an easy to understand writing style. He also presents a solid scriptural point of view. However the forty, one to two page devotionals were simply fluff pieces. They teased a deeper spiritual meaning and lesson but left you feeling like you hadn’t really study anything at all.
I like that each love letter contains reflection questions. I think that helps you to pause a moment and find some relatable qualities. I do wish that the scriptures referenced or at least one key highlighted scripture had been printed out in the devotional. People don’t always have their Bibles handy when they grab a devotional book or sometimes they are simply to lazy to look the verses up. However, if they are printed out on the page then they will usually take the time to read them.
Overall I don’t think this book was really for me. I guess that I was just looking for more. This book would probably be really great for people who are just starting to try to get into the habit of doing a daily quiet time. Then are short and to the point and do provide biblical knowledge. If you are looking for bite-sized devotionals then this could very possibly be a great devotional for you.
If you want to really dig in and go deep then steer clear of God’s Love Letters to You because you will simply be disappointed.
This book was provided to me at no cost by Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes.
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Review 7 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Short isn't always shallow
Date:October 6, 2011
acgifford
Location:Coeur d'Alene, ID
Age:35-44
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Larry Crabb has been one of my absolute favorite authors since I read Shattered Dreams: God’s Unexpected Pathway to Joy. To me, Larry is a modern-day version of Oswald Chambers. He writes the kind of stuff that the average person like me may have to sometimes read two or three teams to really get the full meaning of what he is saying…which is my way of saying, “He’s deep” – and I like deep. Honestly, as much as I love to read, I don’t have time to waste on mediocre writing, and Larry Crabb doesn’t waste a word. The reason I truly love God’s Love Letters to You, is because it takes that depth and maturity and puts it in 40 bite size pieces. I feel there is a huge need on the bookshelf for devotion books that are short and deep. It is an uncommon combination, which leads the average Christian to hold a false belief that short equals shallow.
God’s Love Letters to You walks the reader through 40 of the 66 books of the Bible, showing how God’s message is the same throughout His entire Word. “I love you. I care intensely about you. But I won’t spare your feelings and your comfort when it comes to making you holy. I care more about your soul than I do how you feel today.”
This would be an incredible gift for someone who is going through a really tough time in their life and need to hear uncompromised truth, in a loving shell. Larry’s other writings are good for that too, but again, the bite-sized format of God’s Love Letters to You makes it manageable reading for someone who is really in the thick middle of time-consuming and brain-draining circumstances that would otherwise keep them from taking the time to read.
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Review 8 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
A condensed-Crabb sampler
Date:August 20, 2011
Dawn
Location:British Columbia, Canada
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
This compact devotional is a condensed-Crabb sampler. For the reader who hasn’t been challenged with Crabb’s perspectives this is an ideal starter. Each of 40 brief devotions is loosely based on a book of the Bible. After a key verse each ‘love letter’ begins with “God says…” These are not emotional, feel-good letters but bracing truths that cut through the blind spots and sloppy theology of a hedonistic culture. They reflect the idea that God is more concerned with our holiness than our immediate happiness. A sampling from the “Daniel” devotional represents the flavor of these letters: “The greatest danger My people face today is prosperity, blessings that reinforce the false hope that nothing serious will ever go wrong in their lives if they just keep believing, expecting, trusting, and smiling…” Following each single-page devotional are three of four penetrating application questions, well worth taking time to think through and a prayer written in the first-person. They are designed to be read over the span of 40 days.
I have long appreciated Crabb’s writing and very much enjoyed this latest devotional, marking lines to re-read on most pages. There is much food for thought here. One potentially disconcerting factor is the way words that are not directly traceable to Scripture are put in God’s mouth. Scripture has been filtered through Crabb’s own spiritual walk and life experience as a counselor giving it a distinctive ‘Crabb’ flavor. While I happen to believe his emphasis is a timely corrective for a Christian culture addicted to self-fulfillment, still it would be good if the devotionals were more directly referenced to the Word. I would still highly recommend this book. Even if you don’t agree with every word Crabb speaks for God you will be challenged to face potential blindspots and misconceptions about what the Christian life is really all about.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers for review purposes.
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Review 9 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
God's Love Letters to You by Dr. Larry Crabb
Date:August 19, 2011
Grace
Location:Canada
Age:18-24
Gender:female
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
This book was a forty day devotional, each day being a letter written from God's 'perspective' full of honesty and encouragement. Each letter is followed by questions that stir your mind and help you to reflect upon what you read. It also has prayer thoughts which I enjoyed thoroughly. This book portrayed Jesus' love for us in a real and open light. The devotionals were full of hope but also revealed that we do suffer, but through our suffering and by His grace we are made stronger. It inspired my to reread them over and over again, for encouragement and to remember again how it made me felt. The author did an amazing job articulating letters which God could write to us. It's not only a neat idea, but carried out brilliantly. It's not just easy-read, it makes you think, intellectually stimulating and complex. Very personal, straight to the heart, this book encourages one to see how God sees, so we can draw closer to Him.
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Review 10 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
A wonderful way to start off your day!
Date:August 14, 2011
Jamie
Location:Simsboro, LA
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
I usually don't have or make much free time in the mornings to read a long Bible study. However, God's Love Letters to You was just the right length for a devotion in the morning. He gave you a verse or two from God's Word to think about, a short devotional, questions to make you think about your own life and experiences, and a short prayer to start off your day.
I really enjoyed the questions Dr. Crabb asked at the end of every devotional. They made me stop and really evaluate my life, circumstances, and experiences. Dr. Crabb definitely held my attention throughout this book. There was always something he mentioned in the devotionals that could relate to some situation that was going on in my life. And starting your day off reading a few verses from the Bible and saying a short prayer always puts a person in a good mood. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a devotional to help start their day off right.
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Review 11 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Great!
Date:August 10, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
When I first saw this book, I loved the very idea of it. I think people today don't quite understand God's unending, unconditional love. And I have to say once I read the book, I loved it even more!
We're taken on a 40 day journey by Dr. Crabb to experience and begin to understand the amazing love our God has for us! The letters are formatted in the way that it is made to look like they come directly from God Himself. I thought this book was fantastic, it brought me into a deeper understand of God and His love and it really got me back into reading the Scriptures! I think Crabb did a wonderful job showing the heart of God in this book. This is something that I WILL be purchasing for new converts in our church, or just as a gift for others! I would highly recommend this book!
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Review 12 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Christian Love Letters
Date:August 4, 2011
glesterw
Location:Michigan
Age:25-34
Gender:male
Quality:
2
out of
5
Value:
2
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
1
out of
5
Dr. Larry Crabb takes the devotions to a new level, a more intimate and personal level with God. On this 40 day journey you will encounter daily insight from different books of the Bible along with a message as if it is directly from God. This devotion is focused on sharing God’s love for us.
When I first read started reading this I thought that maybe it was a good idea to write it as if it is actually coming from God Himself… but now I’m not so sure. I know Dr. Crabb means well, but I know the devotions are writing by another human and am unable to accept it as if it is personally coming from the Lord. My concern is that we’ll write messages and may end up degrading God in the process. For me it’s the whole God’s ways are higher than our ways and His understanding is higher than our understanding. I’m not big on making artificial messages from God. Jesus talks through the Holy Spirit and the Bible, I think it’s best to leave it that way.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
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Review 13 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Good Way to Start a Good Habit
Date:July 26, 2011
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
This 40 day devotional book is based on Larry Crabb's best selling devotional book "66 Love Letters". Crabb took 40 selected passages from his book and then added Scripture, thought provoking questions and prayer. If you are not in the habit of having devotions or if you have gotten out of the habit, this would be a great book to use to get back into the habit.
Crabb leads you through forty days of experiencing God's love and discovering what He has for you in your daily life. You will find that each day's Scripture applies to you in a unique way. Although the devotions will only take you about 15 to 30 minutes, you will definitely find yourself pondering these thoughts throughout the day.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from BookSneeze. No other compensation was received. The fact that I received a complimentary product does not guarantee a favorable review.
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Review 14 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Easy and fun to read
Date:July 20, 2011
KidOfTheKing
Location:Ohio
Gender:female
Quality:
3
out of
5
Value:
3
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
God’s Love Letters to You is a daily devotional. Each of the 40 days you start with a Bible chapter, then a verse from that chapter related to the short one page devotional. After reading the daily devotion it is followed by few question regarding the devotional you read then, it end with a closing prayer. Dr. Crabb writes for each day as if you recice personal letters from God.
I enjoyed reading this book very much, but one thing that I noticed while reading this book was the printing in the devotion part was smaller then normal which was not a problem to me, but if someone reading this had poorer eyesight them myself might. It was fun and exciting to read this book, having never read one Dr. Crabb’s books before. It was also very interesting reading this daily devotional, it brought up points which was unique. The devotionals were written by Dr. Crabb’s opinion of how God would speak to us if he was the one personal writting the letters. I overall enjoyed reading this short devotion as it was fun, and easy to read, and enjoyable.
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Review 15 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
A wealth of knowledge in a SMALL package.
Date:July 14, 2011
Patti Creek
Location:Comanche, TX
Age:55-65
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
God's Love Letters to You" Is based upon the book "66 Love Letters" which is reflective of Dr Crabb's intimate conversation with God---Also according to Dr. Crabb, this devotional experience offers the chance to complete change the way you think about love.
It is one of the "best Devotional Books which I have ever read. I love the subtitle they gave it. "A 40-Day Devotional Experience", because that is just what it is.
I like it for several reasons. First because it is a small book. I am not one to sit enthralled in the same book for weeks on end. I like to get into them, get them read and go on to the next one.
While each day has a very short devotional, it has reflective questions at the end of each one that really hits home. Each devotion is short enough so that we are able to remember what is said, but as I always like to say, dynamite comes in "small packages". We can remember what each one says, but better yet, the reflective questions reach into our hearts and minds deep enough to make us do some serious soul searching. How serious are we about our relationship with God, Are we serious enough to want to read these questions, search within ourselves and do something about becoming closer to God?
While each day has a very short devotional, it has reflective questions at the end of each one that really hits home. Each devotion is short enough so that we are able to remember what is said, but as I always like to say, dynamite comes in "small packages". We can remember what each one says, but better yet, the reflective questions reach into our hearts and minds deep enough to make us do some serious soul searching. How serious are we about our relationship with God, Are we serious enough to want to read these questions, search within ourselves and do something about becoming closer to God?
Also, included at the end of each day's devotion is a prayer to ask for God's help to do just that.
I would recommend this book for anyone and to all ages, because Dr. Crabb makes the book "reader friendly" meaning he doesn't use an "over-the-top vocabulary as some authors do. He cares enough about all demographics to use a language we all understand.
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Review 16 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
WRAPPED IN GOD’S LOVE
Date:July 14, 2011
Kelamenter Smith
Location:Detroit, MI
Age:35-44
Gender:female
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
A wonderful devotional of how much God loves us throughout the Bible. God’s Love Letters To You is a remarkable book that serves us well in fully grasping and understanding the unconditional love God shows while Israel continued to sin. We are supplied with the tools necessary to overcome evil and become victorious. Dr. Crabb gave us a refreshing devotional to help us through life’s unpredictability. God says: despite your current situation, whether it is bad or good, I will not leave you just trust me. This book gave a hard look at us in such a little time, but its power displayed real truth along with asking the readers’ questions in finding answers to these heartfelt questions. The Bible has amazing stories, testimonies, and reports of overcoming the enemy; it is an excellent reference guide when dealing with the troubles of life and developing a personal relationship with the Heavenly Father. I am grateful for God’s unlimited love towards me and sharing this book with others is a great way of showing love. This book is a great way to start your day and allow yourself to be guided by God’s love and anointing power.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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Review 17 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Date:July 13, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
God’s Love Letters to You
Larry Crabb
Larry Crabb
Experience a unique conversation with God through a daily devotional reading based on twenty Old Testament and twenty New Testament books of the Bible. Written to help the reader listen to what God is saying in His Word, God’s Love Letters to You offers a life-changing encounter with God through the story He is telling. Author Larry Crabb brings the big picture of God’s story into clearer focus, helping readers catch an enticing glimpse of how each of these forty books of the Bible advances the story. The goal? To lose our story in His.
Each day’s devotional includes:
selected Scripture reading
short devotional message
reflection questions
closing prayer
short devotional message
reflection questions
closing prayer
I like the fact that they are short. It is a good start to quiet time every dya. I like the way the author gives you lot to think about. I found myself learning a lot and getting the encouragement that I needed. Others have said that this book is too simple but I really like it. One of the best parts of this devotional is the focus on a single scripture. You are not looking at 100 different things in the bible. Beth Moore uses tons of scripture and does a great job but this focuses on just one, I liked that.
Disclosure of Material Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher free of charge as a member of the BookSneeze program. In exchange for the book, I agreed to write a review, HOWEVER, the opinions here are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
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Review 18 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Date:July 13, 2011
Sands0113
Location:Berea, KY
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality:
3
out of
5
Value:
3
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
2
out of
5
It's always nice to hear that we are loved and to have someone to willingly put their love and feelings for us into words and onto paper is something that many of us cherish. If we feel that way about the love of our significant others, why would it surprise us that God would give us His very own love letters. Dr. Larry Crabb's new book, "God's Love Letters to You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience", takes 40 books (20 Old Testament and 20 New Testament) from the Bible and portrays them as God's very own love letters for us.
Dr. Crabb has written this devotional in such a way that it would be easy to do in a "busy, everyday" manner. Each devotional has a simple format: It opens with a title (or theme) and a verse that fits that title. It then gives 3 or 4 paragraphs of a 'devotional' message, some reflective questions, and a short prayer at the end. For me, it was nice to be short and simple but I found that it didn't seem to be full. Maybe it's because I haven't read the original book (66 Love Letters) but for whatever reason, I seemed to feel a little underwhelmed when I read the book. I'm thankful for the few things that I did find in the book but I guess it wasn't what I was expecting. For me, when I think of a love letter, I think of detail and depth and I just didn't find that in this book.
I guess that each of us has to have our own requirements in our daily quiet times. Though I didn't feel that this book met mine, I would recommend it to anyone who needs encouragement and/or a starting point to see their relationship with God as one of love.
Disclosure of Material Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher free of charge as a member of the BookSneeze program. In exchange for the book, I agreed to write a review, HOWEVER, the opinions here are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
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Review 19 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Weak and condensed
Date:July 7, 2011
KaraB
Location:St. Louis, MO
Age:35-44
Gender:female
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
2
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
2
out of
5
Do you ever see the Bible as one 66-piece jumbled puzzle and wish you knew how each book fit together to tell one story? Psychologist, teacher, and best-selling author Larry Crabb did, and his 40-day devotional titled God’s Love Letters to You helps you to put the pieces of God’s Great Story together on your own. Each day introduces a new book of the Bible, its theme, a key verse, Crabb’s thoughts about what God is saying as he is communicating to us in the book, a few reflection questions, and a short prayer. I was intrigued to discover God’s Love Letters to You because I also want to better understand the big ideas of each book of the Bible, how they fit together, and be able to communicate the bigger story God has been weaving together since the beginning of time. While this simple devotional book has a few strengths, I believe it has more weaknesses, however.
Strengths of God’s Love Letters to You:
1-It’s a greatly condensed version of his previous book, 66 Love Letters, and it helps you to do an even speedier “fly over” the Bible to get the big picture. If you want something fast and simple, this may appeal to you.
1-It’s a greatly condensed version of his previous book, 66 Love Letters, and it helps you to do an even speedier “fly over” the Bible to get the big picture. If you want something fast and simple, this may appeal to you.
2-Reflection questions help you to personalize scripture and see where your little story fits into God’s bigger story. Crabb is big on personalizing scripture and hearing how God is speaking to you through His word. I don’t disagree with that.
3-This devotional motivates you to spend 40 days thinking about the bigger story God is telling and applying it to your life.
Weaknesses of God’s Love Letters to You:
1-It does not cover all 66 books of the Bible, which was the goal of 66 Love Letters.
1-It does not cover all 66 books of the Bible, which was the goal of 66 Love Letters.
2-This truly is a companion to 66 Love Letters (or at least it should be) and should not stand on its own. If it were supposed to be used independently, it would have been helpful to include more from the prologue from 66 Love Letters to understand the context and the goal of the study. It is far too simplified and exploratory in nature. While Crabb writes from the perspective of being more of a seeker than a scholar, this devotional guide would be much more helpful and meaningful if it included several corresponding scriptures to read and reflect, as well as historical information for each letter.
3-God’s Love Letters to You takes a different approach of surveying the scripture quickly in 40 days. While this may appeal to some, God’s Love Letters to You, if not used with 66 Love Letters (and a Bible), is a weak substitute.
4-Crabb’s approach in both God’s Love Letters to You and 66 Love Letters is not my favorite. While it is meaningful to hear how Crabb summarizes each book of the Bible, he does this by writing as if God is talking in the first person. This is helpful in one sense to hear how he personally applies the message to his life, but I found this continual conversational style annoying. It was also weakened by the lack of scholarly scriptural, historical, and cultural references that would further point readers to the ultimate goal of seeing how God’s story transcends time, is tied together, and while applies personally, also applies corporately to all of God’s people as a whole.
5-The big ideas in God’s Love Letters to You do not correspond to those presented in 66 Love Letters. This is confusing.
6-I wish Crabb would have offered a “So What?” section at the end of his devotional to help guide seekers who are desiring to understand more of how the Bible fits together and how to apply it to life. This would be helpful for people who want to know reliable resources for Bible study and where to go next in their application of God’s Word.
Here’s my recommendation: Read God’s Love Letters to You for a brief overview of the Bible and then let it springboard you into spending more time in God’s book. Dwell there. Dig in deeper and spend more time in the actual Word of God rather than just merely stopping short with Crabb’s insights. God’s own words are the real and best thing that will ultimately bring us all life and hope.
Disclaimer: These are my honest opinions and I don’t get paid to give them, but I did get a free copy of God’s Love Letters to You to review as a part of the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze program. Thanks, Thomas Nelson, and I do look forward to reading and reviewing more of your publications in the future.
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Review 20 for God's Love Letters To You: A 40-Day Devotional Experience
Overall Rating:
Personal letters from God to you
Date:July 6, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
I must confess-I am a devotional-holic!!!. I love devotionals and usually read 10 different ones each morning before my bible reading. Love insights by different authors. When I saw this one on booksneeze I jumped at the chance to review it. I have Larry Crabbs 66 Love Letters and loved it so I knew I would love this on and I did. This one is just a 40 day devotional which is nice when there aren't days to follow. This devotional is so unique, it's short, packed with conversation with God (that is as good as it gets), and new insights on how to think about love. He has taken a different book each day to discuss. For example, Day 8 is about Ruth with a subtitle of my love can overcome all obstacles. The best part is you are reading from God's perspective and in the first person which makes it so much fun to read. After the story is a series of questions-take a moment to reflect which are very thought provoking and interesting. Last is a prayer to God and how it reflects the story you just read.
I guarantee you will "fall in love with the Savior" after this devotional is done. You relationship with Him will be deeper. Consider this your personal letter from God to you. This is a book I will go back over again and again-it is that good.
Thank you Thomas Nelson for sending me this free just for my honest opinion.
Thank you Thomas Nelson for sending me this free just for my honest opinion.
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