A Vision of the Deep
Uncovering the Treasure of Life in Christ
by Susan Scott Sutton
GoodBookStall Review:
This is not just your usual self-help book. It is, instead, a spiritual how-to-guide. Its purpose is to direct the reader towards becoming a better Christian. The author Susan Sutton began by crying to God that she wanted to live her life more for Him, and she says that this helped her in becoming more God-centred. Sometimes the examples she gives make for uncomfortable reading. She reminds me that that Jesus wants all or nothing - for He is a jealous God. She confesses that she, too, finds it hard to give everything to Him, and asks 'why does Jesus make it so hard?' I found this so deep and thought-provoking. Really though, if we do give ourselves to Him, then we are freed from the bondage to self and worries and anxieties that can blight our existence.
The second half of this book focused on the ways in which we can serve Jesus. Susan Sutton used the example of the work that she and her husband did as missionaries. They moved from having comfortable jobs and a good life in America to Chad in Africa. They had young children to bring up, as well - without any of the normal modern conveniences, yet Susan says that God was still there, even in the desert. She gives tantalizing information about her personal life which really keeps the reader guessing, and hints at the end of having a sister in prison, but carefully, without too many details. I was left feeling wanting - that I'd love to know a bit more about her life as a missionary, but I appreciated that this book is not an autobiography, and I loved her spiritual insights.
Reviewer: Alice Collins (03/01/12)
This is not just your usual self-help book. It is, instead, a spiritual how-to-guide. Its purpose is to direct the reader towards becoming a better Christian. The author Susan Sutton began by crying to God that she wanted to live her life more for Him, and she says that this helped her in becoming more God-centred. Sometimes the examples she gives make for uncomfortable reading. She reminds me that that Jesus wants all or nothing - for He is a jealous God. She confesses that she, too, finds it hard to give everything to Him, and asks 'why does Jesus make it so hard?' I found this so deep and thought-provoking. Really though, if we do give ourselves to Him, then we are freed from the bondage to self and worries and anxieties that can blight our existence.
The second half of this book focused on the ways in which we can serve Jesus. Susan Sutton used the example of the work that she and her husband did as missionaries. They moved from having comfortable jobs and a good life in America to Chad in Africa. They had young children to bring up, as well - without any of the normal modern conveniences, yet Susan says that God was still there, even in the desert. She gives tantalizing information about her personal life which really keeps the reader guessing, and hints at the end of having a sister in prison, but carefully, without too many details. I was left feeling wanting - that I'd love to know a bit more about her life as a missionary, but I appreciated that this book is not an autobiography, and I loved her spiritual insights.
Reviewer: Alice Collins (03/01/12)
