The Bible is probably one of the most undervalued books in all of America! It is a treasure hidden on the shelves of millions, collecting countless dust bunnies, and all because most don’t realize its value. I pray the masses would find this treasure and in their joy sacrifice everything to know, cherish, and practice it. I believe Kevin DeYoung’s latest book, Taking God At His Word, will be a tool used by God to accomplish this task. He portrays the Bible in a way that warms your affections, inspires your devotion, and corrects your priorities.
He begins the book with Psalm 119, acknowledging the inadequacy it reveals in our hearts as we approach God’s Word. He then states,
“Remember, Psalm 119 is a love poem, not a checklist. The reason for starting with Psalm 119 is that this is where we want to end.” (pg. 22)
His overall desire for this little book, is for the reader to believe, cherish, and practice Scripture more. He develops this further by elaborating on its 6 key attributes: surety, sufficiency, clarity, necessity, authority, and its unbreakable nature. In each chapter he gives evidence to solidify your faith in God’s word, accomplished primarily through scripture and illustration. He then calls his readers to recognize the treasure of God’s Word and cherish it more. I believe this to be the biggest contribution made by DeYoung. Thus his appeal to Psalm 119 as a love poem about Scripture. He finishes each chapter strong with a call to practice all it commands. Each chapter will move you to truly take God at His word. He concludes sternly with a final call to stick close to the Word of God.
DeYoung assumes his readers already have faith in the Scriptures and a desire to know them better. But he writes in such a way that the reader is not overwhelmed by technical jargon. This book is approachable by the novice Christian and moving for the most educated theologian. However, if you are looking for a more technical read, he ends with a list of 30 recommended books. You can purchase Kindle, hardcopy, or audiobook editions this book and begin to cherish God’s Word more.
Click here for an interview with the author.
