BOOK REVIEW ON “WITH THE WORD, THE CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER BIBLE HANDBOOK”

Written By Elisabeth Chandra, originally in Bahasa Indonesia

Most, if not all, Christians would agree that reading God’s Word is essential to knowing God’s will so that we can please Him in our daily living. But how many of us struggle to read the Bible regularly? The ancient text seems to have little correlation to the issues we face each day and we gradually find ourselves losing our resolve to read the Bible in one year despite our original intention. Eventually, we end up reading only certain devotional articles and feeling satisfied by the explanations from others instead of digging deeper into God’s Word ourselves.

If we want to know God and understand His will for our lives, we need to read the whole counsel of God, not just some parts of it. There must be a reason why different kinds of writings were compiled into one book and acknowledged as God’s Word over all these centuries. So apart from focusing on some of our favorite verses and trying to apply them into our lives, it would be wise and good to make effort in understanding the whole story so that we can clearly see how God intended our lives to be lived.

With the Word, The Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Handbook by Warren Wiersbe is a helpful and needful resource in helping us grasp the grand theme of the Bible. Since he first became a Christian in 1945, Wiersbe has been faithfully reading the Bible over and over again. This is evidenced by the personal notes throughout the book that serve as a useful guide to illuminate our path as we explore the Bible chapter by chapter, from Genesis to Revelation. To help us navigate through difficult passages, he also gives insightful comments as well as lessons that we can apply to our daily lives.

So as we embark on our new journey this year, why don’t we attempt to read the Bible once through (or go through it again)? We can use tools like this chapter-by-chapter Bible handbook to whet our appetite for the Word. With the Spirit’s help, we can look forward to a scrumptious feast.

About the Author
Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe is one of the most respected Bible teachers in the evangelical world. His lectures, writings, and ministries (he was director of Back to the Bible for 10 years) have clearly and constantly proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world for more than 40 years. He has written more than a hundred books.