“It’s common to believe that great events such as a death or a birth are guided by the hand of God. Yet we can easily drift into feeling that our daily lives are not sovereignly directed, but are simply the product of our own efforts.” ~The Grand Weaver, backcover

The Grand Weaver
Author: Ravi Zacharias
Zondervan.com

In the opening of his book, Ravi Zacharias shares a letter from the many thousands he gets each year:

“Why has God made it so difficult to believe in him? If I loved somebody and had infinite power, I would use that power to show myself more obviously. Why has God made it so difficult to see his presence and his plan?”

A simple, yet heavy-duty question. Ravi Zacharias then humbly, tenderly, takes us—believer, skeptic, seeker alike—on a journey of discovery, thread by thread. Before the first chapter ends, we realize that maybe the threads of our lives aren’t just a tangled, nonsensical mess. We press on, watching with interest as the author traces God’s amazing handiwork in individual lives. He shares about pain, despair, and golden windows…the big picture, and incorruptible treasure. He shows how we can be freed from despair when we realize there are no random threads.

One quote stayed with me: “To allow God to be God we must follow him for who he is and what he intends, and not for what we want or what we prefer,” Zacharias says.

As The Grand Weaverpoints to God’s designing hand, we see patterns of tailored purposefulness for every life. In each chapter, Ravi details the things that matter: our DNA, our disappointments, our calling, our morality, our spirituality, our will, our worship, and our destiny. As I delved into these topics packed with insightful quotes and powerful storytelling, I kept turning pages, wanting to underline everything. Zacharias is brilliant, yet gentle. Scholarly, yet readable and down to earth. His insights touch the heart and mind, and there is nothing pretentious about him.

This author helps us examine our own backgrounds, disappointments, triumphs, and beliefs, and how they relate to the intentional work of God in our own lives. Ravi’s stories lift us out of our own quagmire, challenging our perspective. He’s not afraid of probing questions, and reinforces the truth we so desperately need for a genuine spirituality. From page to page, we witness the delicate weavings of God over the course of a lifetime—not at all random or meaningless, yet each thread lovingly and intentionally designed by God for His grand purposes.

“Without truth, the threads do not make a beautiful design. Without truth, spirituality is nothing more than a hopeless confession that sheer matter alone does not answer life’s deepest hungers. Truth is the thread that separates true spirituality from false spirituality.”

At the back of his book, Zacharias encourages the reader to ponder questions, Bible in hand, and to discuss them with others. The appendix contains 25 Key Questions & Answers, such as:

* How can I see God’s pattern in my life unfold, even when I am in pain?
* How does determining my call help me pull together different aspects of my life?
* How can I begin to discipline my will?

For a more theoretical and philosophical exploration, he recommends the book that he co-edited with Dr. Norman Geisler: Who Made God?: And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith.

I’m pleased to recommend this book. Ravi Zacharias, MDiv., is a keen mind, noted author, well known Christian apologist, and sought-after conference speaker. I first came to know him through his radio ministry called Let My People Think several years ago. He and his wife live in Atlanta, and his memoir was published last year called, Walking from East to West: God in the Shadows.

Enjoy the resources. I’ll announce the winner of this book very soon. Stay tuned!

Resources:
The Grand Weaver
Bio: Ravi Zacharias
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
Radio Ministry