Review of "A Godward Heart" by John Piper - God-centered meditations

 "A Godward Heart" has many great and encouraging words.  Right from the beginning, Piper explains the reason for writing this book is that he believes that a life can be changed by short meditations (paragraphs) as much as by books.  I agree with him.  Sometimes our hearts are hungry, and yet we are short on time or are tired and won't make it through a long chapter, but this is do-able even if you are tired or short on time, as they are short (3 to 4 pages).  

I love the words of endorsement that Nancy Leigh DeMoss gives regarding this book, and I would like to quote here as it is spoken so perfectly.  She states: "A Godward Heart is a fresh invitation to seek the Lord, to sit at the feet of the savior, to savor Him as your greatest treasure, and to find deep satisfaction for your soul as you drink from His well that never runs dry."

Another thing I like in this book, as well as others by Piper, is his transparency.  I like real and Piper is real. 

If you are used to the many self-centered books among Christian material, this book may actually seem foreign to you, as it is not about you! This book is Christ-centered and ultimately about doing all we do for the pleasure of God, which by the way, will automatically bring the most pleasure to your Christian walk (as a side benefit not a goal).

I recommend using this book as a devotional for 50 days or just reading a short meditation when you have a couple minutes throughout your day.  I can't say all his meditations are equal, especially if you are new to Piper's writing style and themes.  Therefore, I think my being familiar with other writings by Piper made this book more enjoyable.  There were a few meditations I just didn't quite get where he was going with them or even why they were included, but I moved on to the next meditation.

As for rating this book, I would give it 3.5 stars (if allowed).  Otherwise, I gave it 4 stars, which was a little generous, but 3 stars would have been too low of a rating for this book.

Read it, enjoy it, and if you are new to Piper, let this be a primer.  Get his other books and you'll start seeing the knowledge and wisdom of this godly man.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.