Title and Author: Rejoice and Tremble, Michael Reeves
Length: 168
Overview: Rejoice and Tremble is a book about the surprising good news of the fear of the Lord. I have never read a book on this topic and wasn’t sure what to expect, but Reeves does a great job of making it accessible. He discusses the difference between right fear of God and sinful fear of God. He then goes on to explain ways that we can cultivate proper fear of God in our lives.
Read this book if: you’re ready for a thought-provoking book that dives you deep into theology. While Reeves does a good job of explaining it, I wouldn’t say this is an easy read. It’s a slower read and I found my self re-reading parts to make sure I was understanding it correctly. The awe and reverence that it sparks in the reader is worth the extra work it takes to get through it.
Favorite Quote: Right fear does not stand in tension with love for God. Right fear falls on its face before the Lord, but falls leaning toward the Lord. It is not as if love draws near and fear distances. Nor is the fear of God on side of our reaction to God. It is not simply that we love God for his graciousness and fear him for his majesty. That would be a lopsided fear of God. We also love hi in his holiness and tremble at the marvelousness of his mercy. True fear of God is true love for God defined: it is the right response to God’s full-orbed revelation of himself in all his grace and glory.
Something I’m applying: I struggle with worry. This book was hard for me to read because it was convicting. Reeves says more than once that “what you fear shows what you really love.” I’ve been taking a sort of “fear inventory” whenever I’m feeling worried or anxious about something. Ultimately, if I keep God in his proper place and understand that he is above all, it makes the other fears not seem as significant.
If this sounds like a topic that you would like to learn more about, you can purchase the book here.