Lazarus Awakening

I recently received a copy of Lazarus Awakening by Joanna Weaver.  This book peaked my interest because of the subtitle: "Finding Your Place in the Heart of God." 

You see, I know that God loves me.  At least, I know that in a detached, intellectual way, but sometimes my heart has a hard time believing it.  There are times when I don't even like myself, which makes it very hard for me to believe that God, the creator of everything, would like me very much either, let alone love me.  If you feel this way, too, even just sometimes, you should definitely read this book.

The author takes a look at the story, from the Gospel of John, of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  In the past, I've always viewed this as a nice story, a miraculous story, a little bit of a confusing story, but not a story that has much relevance to my life here today.  Each of the 10 chapters of Lazarus Awakening begins with a section of the text from the Gospel of John.  Ms. Weaver then reveals a nugget of truth that can be found in the words of the story.  I was astounded by the way the author was able to take these nuggets of truth and expose them in an uncomplicated way that spoke straight to my heart, every time revealing my fears, and answering questions I didn't even realize I had been searching for answers for.  Ms. Weaver is honest, sharing her own trials and doubts with her readers, and insightful, as well as rooted in scripture. 

This is a book that is not so much about Lazarus being raised from the dead, but about how Jesus longs to release each of us from the deadness of our sin-sick lives to a new joyful and abundant life in Him.

The book includes a 10 week study guide for personal reflection or discussion, which is easily adapted to 8 weeks, as well as other resources to learn more, and hints to assist in your own journey toward freedom in Christ.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.