sayable

Torn to Heal, God’s good purpose in sufferingby Mike Leake

I read Mike Leake’s book Torn to Heal almost a year ago and kept meaning to review it, and kept forgetting. In my initial read for the endorsement, I said that Mike, “has taken the ugliness of suffering, turned it over in his capable hands and shown God’s goodness and faithfulness in the midst. More than simple encouragement for those suffering, it is a handbook of scriptural truths about who God is and how He sustains.” I maintain that truth today. This short book is one of the most helpful books on suffering I have ever read. Mike does not sugarcoat suffering or get through that part quickly in order to get to the practicals of how to deal with it. He winsomely and carefully brings the reader through the pain of suffering to the whole and beautiful goodness of God.

Awaiting a Savior, The gospel, the new creation, and the end of povertyby Aaron Armstrong

This book is the book I’ve wanted to exist for a long time—and now it does. In Awaiting a Savior, Aaron Armstrong talks about the roots of poverty, not in economic terms, but spiritual terms. Aaron brings with him knowledge as an employee of a charity, but also an obvious study of the subject biblically. In a strangely refreshing way, he exposes poverty for what it really is at the root: the result of sin, and not just the sin of others, but our own sin, and not just our own sin, but original sin. He doesn’t make excuses for poverty in a “what will be will be” way, but instead joins every act of poverty with the greatest display of riches: grace and the gospel. I found myself tearing up time after time in this book and want to give it to every person I know who asks the question, “What can I do about the problem of poverty!?” I highly recommend this short and powerful book.