We live in a fast-paced culture. Busyness is the name of the game. Schedules are filled and time is packed. With little space left, things get squeezed out. Sadly, for Christians, this may include their time in God’s Word. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons some followers of Christ state they don’t read or study the Bible is because they don’t have the time. While understandable in some sense, it comes down to priority. This does not mean you are required to spend hours upon hours searching the Scriptures, although such study would prove fruitful. What it does mean is you need to get yourself into looking and meditating on God’s Word. For that, I introduce you to John Piper’s new work, The Satisfied Soul: Showing the Supremacy of God in All of Life. This third volume of 120 meditations by Piper contains readings from three of his other works, Pierced by the Word, Life as a Vapor, and A Godward Heart. In this work, Dr. John Piper seeks to point you to the supremacy of the only One who can satisfy your soul.
In this series of meditations, Piper gets to the heart of the book’s title when he meditates on Psalm 63. The problem, at least from my vantage point, is this meditation is not in the opening pages of the book but as #89 (page 301) in 120 meditations. Furthermore, one can be assured of an expected structure which mirrors his previous volumes; however, one might prefer a more organized set where meditations are grouped together into categories. Still, structural issues do not take away from the content of this book. Many of the writings from John Piper from this book will draw you into the biblical text and will serve you well in getting in the Word of God to look at and meditate upon it. One of the most impact meditations for me in The Satisfied Soul is titled “How God Teaches the Deep Things of His Word” which is a meditation on Psalm 119:65–72 (Piper 83–87). From time to time, though, the reader will come across a meditation which does not seem to fit with the rest. For example, meditation #16 (page 58) reflects on the lives of C.S. Lewis and Robert Louis Stevenson’s relationships with their fathers. While one can benefit from that particular reading, it does not seem to best capture the essence of the book’s purpose. Nevertheless, I would concur with John Piper, “full-circuited reflection is where my soul gets its best food” (Piper 107). The Satisfied Soul is at its best when it is guiding you in a meditation from Scripture. You will find your thirst quenched and your soul filled most when Piper reflects with you on the Word itself. I recommend The Satisfied Soul: Showing the Supremacy of God in All of Life as an on-the-go resource for Christians with event-packed and schedule-filled lives. Let John Piper lead you into a time of looking at and meditating on God’s Word.
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and are my honest review of the book.
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