Reading the Prophets: Guest Post by Heather Zempel

Today we have Heather Zempel, author of Amazed and Confused, on the blog talking about the Prophets of the Old Testament. Be sure to check out her new book as well as all the other books in the InScribed series! 

Several years ago, a friend of mine commented, “I really hope I don’t get seated next to Obadiah at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, because I’m going to have to tell him, ‘I’m really sorry, dude, but I never read your book.’”

I laughed, but I also embraced a new mission to help people navigate the odd world of prophetic writings. They seem so weird and irrelevant. In Handbook on the Prophets, author and professor Robert Chisholm admits:

The prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible presents great interpretive obstacles. Its poetry, though teeming with vivid imagery that engages the imagination and emotions, challenges the reader’s understanding because of its economy of expression, rapid shifts in mood, and sometimes cryptic allusions. The reader of the prophetic literature quickly realizes that these books were written at particular points in time to specific groups of people with whom the modern reader seems to share little.

So true. However, Chisholm also contends that they demand our attention because they are the Word of God and contain a message that transcends time and space by helping us see dimensions of God’s character more clearly and challenging us to relate to Him and the world around us according to His ways.

As I read the prophets with new eyes, I realized they were more relevant than I had thought. The prophets accepted the tension of living in a fallen world while waiting hopefully for a new world to come. Their hearts pounded for justice, and they warned that religion was empty unless accompanied by action. They lived through circumstances that didn’t make sense, questioned authority, and challenged people to live at a level higher than the rest of culture expected of them. To me, it seemed the Prophets might be the most real, raw, and relevant writings in the entire Bible. The world in which these authors lived, though separated from my own by thousands of years and thousands of miles, also felt very familiar. Their voices and their messages were as critical and germane to my life as they were to a distant generation; it just took some unraveling and cultural and historical insight to ensure their words resonated in my ears the way they hit their original audiences.

The prophet Habakkuk begged God for revival and that He would turn the hearts of faithless people back to Him. God’s answer to Habakkuk was “Take a look at the nations and watch what happens! You will be shocked and amazed” (1:5, The Voice). The vision God gave Habakkuk was on of warfare and exile. Not exactly the response you’d expect from a “good God.”

Have you ever prayed for something or someone in earnest, seeking God’s will, only to be left confused by God’s response? Have you questioned why a good God would allow bad things to happen to good people? Has a long-standing prayer request gone unanswered? In Amazed and Confused I’ll tackle these questions head-on by exploring the book of Habakkuk,

How do you respond when God’s actions seem out of line with his character and promises? Amazed and Confused proceeds systematically through the book of Habakkuk, exploring the prophet’s prayer, God’s response, and the prophet’s journey from confusion to worship. Please join me on this journey of discovering the Minor Prophets and the wealth of wisdom they have to share. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback if you do. Leave me a message on my website, heatherzempel.com or connect through social media, Facebook.com/heather.zempel or twitter.com/heatherzempel.

**Amazed and Confused is part of the InScribed book collection. Learn more about InScribed and other books in this collection by visiting InScribedStudies.com. Parts of this blog are excerpts from my book, Amazed and Confused, released March 4, 2014 through Thomas Nelson.

Heather Zempel - Heather Zempel is the discipleship pastor at National Community Church in Washington, DC. Having obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biological engineering from Louisiana State University, Heather worked as an environmental engineer and as a policy consultant on energy and environment in the United States Senate. Heather lives on Capitol Hill where she can be found searching out the best barbeque joints, watching college football, and enjoying theater with her husband Ryan. In addition to InScribed’s Amazed and Confused : When God’s Actions Collide with Expectations which is  available now (http://inscribedstudies.com/) Heather is also the author of Sacred Roads and Community is Messy.

{Review} Gods at War: Defeating the Idols That Battle for Your Heart by Kyle Idleman

*disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review*

Published: February 19^th, 2013 (Zondervan)

Pages: 240

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

In Gods at War, Kyle Idleman, bestselling author of not a fan, helps every believer recognize there are false gods at war within each of us, and they battle for the place of glory and control in our lives. What keeps us from truly following Jesus is that our hearts are pursuing something or someone else. While these pursuits may not be the 'graven images' of old, they are in fact modern day idols. Behind the sin you're struggling with, the discouragement you're dealing with, the lack of purpose you're living with is a false god that is winning the war for your heart.

 According to Idleman, idolatry isn't an issue---it is the issue. By asking insightful questions, Idleman reveals which false gods each of us are allowing on the throne of our lives. What do you sacrifice for? What makes you mad? What do you worry about? Whose applause do you long for? We're all wired for worship, but we often end up valuing and honoring the idols of money, sex, food, romance, success and many others that keep us from the intimate relationship with God that we desire. Using true, powerful and honest testimonies of those who have struggled in each area, gods at war illustrates a clear path away from the heartache of our 21st century idolatry back to the heart of God -- enabling us to truly be completely committed followers of Jesus. [Description from Goodreads]

“Idols are not defeated not by being removed but by being replaced.”

This is such a profound statement, and one of the most convicting things I took away from Kyle’s second book, Gods at War. The idols in our lives, whatever they may be, can only be conquered if we let Someone Else become our one true addiction. Bet you never thought of it like that, right? Neither had I.

Kyle uses the same clear, understandable logic and spiritual truthfulness to reveal first, that all hurting and hardship is spawned from some form of idolatry. (I want to point out right now that while you might think that some forms of idolatry are less “severe” than others, all are equally corrupt and damaging in the eyes of God.) In part 1, Kyle address idolatry in a broader sense before diving into specific idols many of us struggle with. As in Not a Fan, I found the “Case Studies” or real-life examples that Kyle uses in part 1 to be extremely eye-opening and relatable. He uses these examples as well as Scripture to help us 1) become fully aware of the wrongness of idolatry, and 2) get a feel for the idols in our own personal lives.

I personally felt the Lord working in my heart after I was submerged into the chapters on the specific idols. I became increasingly uncomfortable and convicted as I recognized idols I’ve harbored, and even became conscious of a couple I wasn’t aware of before. The god of Entertainment. Achievements. Romance. Me (to name a couple). In the past, I’ve downgraded the significance of the war that’s going on inside of me. During the time I was reading this book, my eyes were fully opened to the battlefield that is my heart. Each day is a fight. Each day a god wins.

Satisfaction is not found in the victory of foreign gods. Fulfillment only comes when God is placed on the throne of our hearts. I know that’s a hard one to swallow sometimes, because idols can look so good. They can seem so appealing. We’re told by the world that they’ll be all we need, and we’re apt to believe the world. We’re not willing to “take the chance” that God really is all we need. We may know that deep down, but we have our doubts. We don’t want to miss out. But we miss out when we let other gods win the battle day by day. Every day that you devote to something or someone other than God is a day utterly wasted.

That’s why they have to be defeated. Replaced.

Just as I did with Not a Fan, I finished this book with a new perspective and a deep need for change. The greatest thing is, though, that Gods at War is not just about conviction. It’s about hope, too.

“Everyone who drinks this from this water [worships ____] will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him [i.e. sets Me on the throne of their heart] will never thirst again.” –John 4:13

{Review} Get Lost: Your Guide to Finding True Love by Dannah Gresh

 *received ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Published: April 2^nd, 2013 (WaterBrook Press)

Pages: 224

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Have you ever ditched a friend for a guy? Filled your journal with more thoughts about guys than God? Found yourself jealous because that other girl gets all the dates? Maybe it’s time to get lost—in God.

Discover how to get so lost in God that a guy has to seek Him to find you.
 Dannah Gresh traces God’s language of love through Scripture to help you pursue your heart’s deepest desires and seek love the way God designed it to be. Because once you identify your true longings and let God answer them, you’ll know just how to respond when romantic love comes along.

With a guided ten-day Love Feast Challenge, Get Lost will help you see for yourself how getting lost in God opens the door to lifelong fulfillment.

I knew this book was for me the moment I read the title. Why? Because for a long time, I’ve struggled with resting in the Lord and finding satisfaction and fulfillment in Him rather than in other things. Like guys. Like the ecstasy of romance and the dream of love and marriage. I’ve suffering from the Craving. We all have it- it comes in different shapes and forms. But most of us just don’t know how to defeat it.

Dannah starts her book by identifying the Craving. She tells us that it’s not wrong to want to be loved. And it isn’t- it really and truly isn’t. But most often than not, we try to fulfill that Craving with guys rather than God. And sorry to break it to ya, but it’s never going to work that way.  Jesus is the only thing that will ever really calm the Craving. He has to be enough for us. He will be enough for us, if only we let Him be.

Get Lost reveals that we need to get over ourselves and get lost in God. A beautiful journey awaits us, girls. Getting lost in our Savior will transform your life in each and every area, drawing you to Him and blurring all distractions this world has to offer. Dannah strips away all the disillusion of “falling in love” that girls idolize and shows us the consequences of beginning a relationship this way. Choosing to get lost in God rather than “fall in love” will prepare you for a life-long love relationship. Experiencing God’s unfailing love will illuminate the meaning and purpose of true love and marriage, providing a perfect example of the relationship between husband and wife. There is no better way to prepare for a godly relationship commitment than a commitment to God.

But here’s the best part: Dannah doesn’t only preach it- she guides us into an experience of getting lost in God. In part two, we’re offered the opportunity to take ten days to get lost in God- in His Word, His Voice, His Love. Ten days of no guys. Only God. This “Love Feast” features ten devotions laid out by the author in which the reader takes an allotment of time out of her to focus her heart on God. Personally, I started out by listening to one or two worship songs before diving into the chapter part of the devotion. As encouraged by Dannah, I’d end by journaling a prayer. Honestly, my days went sooo much better during the Love Feast, because I’d focused my heart on God. The topics of each day of the Love Feast were personal and spoke right to my heart, as if they were written specifically for me.

Two of my all-time favorite chapters of the book were two of the last ones- What a Guy Lost in God Looks Like and What a Girl Lost in God Looks Likes. Each of them outlines the specific qualities of a man and woman lost in God.  We’re provided with numerous stories of girls who’ve had their lives changed through getting lost in God, the author included. It’s also the perfect book for small groups or Bible studies, as it comes with discussion/conversation questions in the back. I can say without a doubt that it’s the best Christian inspirational book I’ve read in a very long time. I’m so thankful someone took the initiative to shed some light on this topic, because I know that it’s such a big struggle for a lot of teen girls. You’ll definitely experience God’s love in a whole new way.  

Not a Fan: Teen Edition by Kyle Idleman

Published: April 23^rd, 2012 (Zondervan)

Pages: 224

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

If someone asked, 'Are you a fan of Jesus?', how would you answer? You attend every movie featuring a certain actor, you know the stats of your sports hero, and you can recite lyrics from your favorite songs. In short, you're a huge fan. But are you treating Jesus the same as the other people you admire? The truth is Jesus wants more than the church attendance, occasional prayer, and the ability to recite Scripture---the fan response. He's looking for people who are actually willing to sacrifice in order to follow him. In this teen edition of Not a Fan, Kyle Idleman uses humor, personal stories, and biblical truth as he challenges you to look at what it means to call yourself a Christian and follow the radical call Jesus presents. So, will you be a fan, or a follower? [Description from Goodreads]

I heard about this book a while back but never considered reading it until someone recommended it to me. And I was absolutely blown away. The writing is easy to read and understand while being full of humor (loved Kyle’s hilarious footnotes) and teen lingo. Kyle focuses on the meaning of truly following Jesus by having us define our relationship with Him. He also uses several Biblical examples of aspiring “followers” from the books of Matthew, Luke, and John. He draws the line between follower and fan, diagnosing “symptoms” of both, and outlines the radical relationship and love that a true follower should have.

I suspected the content to be simple information I already knew, but was surprised at the deep, profound message this book contains. The conviction I felt while reading Not a Fan wasn’t something I expected. The truths of this book have been long forgotten (or ignored) by our society and the church, and the line between “comfortable fan” and “radical follower” has been smudged. This book un-smudges that line, clearly spelling out the sacrificial life of a follower compared to the relaxed existence of a fan. I highly recommend it not only to those doubting the solidity of their faith but to anyone who calls themselves a follower. Not a Fan wipes away the false beliefs of this world that often take up residence in our hearts, and replaces them with the raw faith that lies at the core of Christianity. We all need to be reminded of what Jesus really meant when He called us to “take up your cross daily and follow Me.”

Made to Crave for Young Women by Lysa Terkeurst and Shaunti Feldhahn

Published: March 6^th, 2012 (Zonderkidz)

Pages: 240

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

What do you crave to make you happy? ... every day is filled with things we want and crave. Things that will make us feel good at least for a moment. But what happens when that moment is gone and the need returns? There's nothing wrong with wanting certain things, but God didn't create us to rely on those things to make us happy. He created us to crave Him, and a happiness that lasts. In this teen adaptation of the bestselling Made to Crave, the deep emotional, physical, and material cravings you face are explored---desires that can turn into spending too much, over- or under-eating, needing a boyfriend, or more. Through real-life stories and support from people who have been where you are, you will also discover how to truly crave God and the love and comfort He wants us to have, and how craving heavenly things can make the earthly cravings easier to overcome. You were made to crave more than this world has to offer.(Description from Goodreads)

I don’t usually review nonfiction, but this book deserved some time in the spot light. I bought this book because it sounded like it was written just for me. I was going through some stuff (probably the same sort of thing you’re going through), and I knew I had to read Made to Crave after reading the back cover.

Author Lysa TerKeurst

The general topic of the book is “satisfying your deepest desires with God.” I mean, that speaks to a large variety of us! All of us, at one time or another, try to satisfy ourselves with something other than God and His Great Love. Lysa and Shaunti outline three cravings that eat away at us girls: the emotional craving, the physical craving, and the material craving. When we feel empty inside, as many of us do, instead of turning to God we turn to food (physical craving) or clothes (material craving) or boys (emotional craving). And as you might have guessed, none of these things satisfy us for long. They might make us happy for a little while, but they run out, and we have to go find something else to fill the holes in our hearts.

Guess what. This book tells you how to fill that hole once. Yes, once. You’ll never have to fill it again.

Author Shaunti Feldhahn

And I’m not lying when I say this Made to Crave really helped me in that area. It truly did. The book zooms in on each craving area, and gives an abundant of helpful tips to overcome that craving and replace it with Jesus Christ. Lysa and Shaunti give accounts of personal experiences and how they learned from them, which really helped me. Another thing I love is that at the end of each short chapter (you could definitely read a chapter a day in place of personal devotions!), the authors give a little “takeaway tip.” It’s basically a one or two sentence summary of the chapter. I’d run this tip over and over in my head throughout the day to help me remember it’s truth, and I also wrote them all down in my prayer journal for future reference. There’s also an “action plan” with a simple activity to do, such as journal something about the chapter or say a prayer to help you overcome a craving. By the end of the book, I was so encouraged, so refreshed, and so ready to take action against my unhealthy cravings.

I want to share something real quick that really stuck with me after finishing Made to Crave. It’s this: “You crave what you consume.” If you are obsessed with a perfect body image, that’s what you will crave more and more and more. If you are focused on getting that certain boy to pay attention to you so that you’ll feel special, you will crave that more and more and more. If you’re addicted to overspending on clothes or shoes so that you’ll think you look pretty, you’ll crave that more and more and more.

But if you’re consumed with the power of God in your life, if you deeply desire to continue to feel His love, and you take action to make sure you’re growing in Him, that’s what you’ll crave more and more and more. And that’s exactly what He wants for His children. He wants us to crave Him as much as He loves us.

I’m telling you, girls, you have got to read this book. Even if you can’t identify an unhealthy craving you have off the top of your head, this book will help you find those secret cravings before they consume you. This isn’t a blame book- it will encourage you to high heaven. I guarantee it. Made to Crave is a book every girl of any age should read, so don’t miss out.

P.S. There’s one for women, too. *grin*