Hope Prevails by Dr. Michelle Bengtson

From Goodreads
As a board-certified neuropsychologist, Dr. Michelle Bengtson sees the devastation of depression. Early on, she practiced the most effective treatments and prescribed them for her clients. But when she experienced depression herself, she found that the treatments she had recommended were lacking. Her experience showed her the missing component in treating depression. 

In "Hope Prevails," Dr. Bengtson writes with deep compassion, blending her training and faith, to offer readers a hope grounded in God's love and grace. She helps readers understand what depression is, how it affects them spiritually, and what, by God's grace, it cannot do. The result is an approach that offers the hope of release, not just the management of symptoms.
For those who struggle with depression and those who want to help them, "Hope Prevails" offers hope for the future.

Depression is a common mental health disorder, and it's one that captured my attention a few years back when I began to better understand the human body and mind. While the effects of depression may be severe or mild, and the causes of depression vary depending on the person, most people have either struggled with it themselves or know someone who has. Reading about mental health disorders as a Christian calls for caution and discernment--not all authors are grounded in Scripture, and not all authors portray the healing process accurately. I have only read one other book on this topic, that being David Murray's Christians Get Depressed, Too (a good book!). 

Depression is a legitimate health disorder, and while that does not provide liberty for sin, we should understand it's effects and background in order to treat it. Dr. Michelle Bengtson uses her personal journey through depression to write this book. Being a neuropsychologist, one would expect her to have a certain amount of knowledge and techniques to enable a person to heal; however, when she herself walked through depression, she found her techniques weren't helping in the way she expected. She wrote this book, as a result of her findings and spiritual journey through a difficult time of life. Perhaps the most effective counselors and doctors are the ones who have suffered in the same way. 

In the first chapter Bengtson defines depression. This a vital chapter because many people do not know what it is exactly: there are physical symptoms, yes, but the mental side of depression is huge as well. Depressed people often feel alone (or are actually alone) in their suffering, and so Bengtson also writes this book to bring comfort and healing to the hurting. She includes a "My Prayer for You" section at the end of each chapter, along with questions that guide the reader and give insight into the causes and effects of their depression. Perhaps my favorite part of this book is the list of songs, Bengtson provides with each chapter. They are meant to guide the reader toward worshiping God, finding encouragement in Scripture, and creating an uplifting mindset. 

Bengtson then lists the underlying causes of depression: chemical makeup of the brain, genetics, depression as a secondary symptom, depression as a reaction to life events, and the spiritual roots of depression. Those who struggle with depression must understand that, as believers, they have an enemy. This enemy seeks to destroy their mind daily, leading them to believe the lies they've heard and continue sinning mentally, rather than replacing those lies with Bible. Bengtson doesn't leave it there, however. She follows up these chapters in the next many pages about recovering joy, reclaiming peace, reestablishing identity, knowing your worth and destiny, and finding healing in God's love. 

She concludes the book with chapters on how God uses our pain to ensure victory if we allow Him to work through the physical and mental tears. The testing of our faith and the darkness that surrounds us is not meant to be forever, for there is a way of hope if we guard our minds, seek therapy and counsel, and take care of our spirit and body. Taking care of our spirit is one of the ways to hope. We must spend time in God's presence, stay anchored in the Word, pray, obey, take time for praise and gratitude, and trust God to lead us into the light in His timing.

Bengtson uses Scripture to demonstrate a pathway of healing for those with depression, while not ignoring sin or merely dismissing depression as "something a Christian shouldn't have". Perhaps one example of a man who struggled with depression was King David, and through his pain and heartache, God brought him through troubled times with a renewed focus on the Messiah who was to come and the God who loved him forever. So glad I requested this book. 

*I received this book free from Revell Books through the Baker Books Bloggers program. The opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

The Temple and the Tabernacle by J. Daniel Hays

From Amazon:

At various points in Israel's history, God dwelt in specific, significant places, most notably in the tabernacle and the temple. These structures, meticulously planned, extravagantly furnished, and regularly frequented by the devout, were more than just places of worship and sacrifice. They were pictures of God's relationship with his chosen people and of the atoning work that would be done by the Messiah. To understand the tabernacle and the temple, then, is to understand how we are brought into God's family through the sacrifice of his only Son, Jesus.

Visually stunning and theologically rich, this full-color resource brings together the latest scholarship and archeological discoveries to bring God's dwelling places alive for modern believers. It places these important structures in their historical and theological contexts, connects them with the overall biblical story, and shows how they bring meaning and depth to the faith of Christians today.

This was a book that I was really excited to receive. I first encountered Hays writing during one of my university courses. His book called Grasping God's Word was one of the required resources, so I became familiar with his approach through my assignments. 

The Temple and the Tabernacle takes us through the history of Scripture, describing Eden as the first place where God's presented His glory. Hays also devotes a chapter exclusively to the study of the original languages and the words used to describe "temple" and "tabernacle". Hardly a page goes by without a picture of an artifact, map, quote, or other extra feature. I loved just skimming through the pages and seeing all the pictures. Definitely a highlight of this book. Using frequent and consistent Scripture passages and verses, Hays describes the first tabernacle's structure and features, reminding us that God then filled the tabernacle with His glory. 

Hays is careful to caution us against imaginative and prophetic interpretations of Scripture. I so appreciate Hays for this, as today's culture of Christians tends to interpret Scripture based on individual experience or opinion, rather than Christ and the Scriptures. 

"Solomon's Temple" was the most eye-opening chapter for me, in that it described the circumstances of Solomon's life and actions. While many of us tend to remember Solomon for his temple and for his wisdom (things that did indeed occur), few remember that his life was not one marked by obedience to God. In fact, there is little in Scripture, if one studies carefully, that condones anything that Solomon does. I always thought of Solomon as a king who started out well and ended badly, but in reality, he didn't really start out well at all. But you'll have to read the book to get more details. ;) While God's presence once again fills the new temple, corrupt worship becomes the norm and Solomon's kingdom crumbles. Hays describes the departure of God's glory from the temple in the following chapter. 

The history of the second temple is then chronicled. Despite political turmoil, Ezra and Haggai encourage the people to rebuild the destroyed temple, and as history passes, this temple becomes known as Herod's Temple. However, this temple is not one that is filled with God's glory, but rather consumed with man's corruption, and until the Son of Man Himself walks through it's doors and overturns those who bought and sold there, there is no record of God's glory entering this building. 

Hays concludes the book with a description of the temple during the New Testament era and during Jesus' life on earth. He discusses the presence of God and Jesus as the true Temple, along with the heavenly tabernacle and earthly temple. The final chapter sums up the book's descriptions and discussions by stating that we today live corum deo--living in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God. Our worship here is only a shadow of what is to be in heaven. Yet those shadows are here to remind us what we are waiting for. 

There was an aspect of this book that I didn't care for, however. In detailing the history of Scripture, events, places, and people, Hays frequently uses words such as "possibly", "maybe", "likely", and "perhaps" when detailing things that could have happened, but for which we have no documentation. While I was grateful for the extra details, I thought that the repeated use of such words and the frequent statements of probability took away from the credibility of Scripture or the author's words. I would have prefered just to read the history which we know for sure did take place, rather than gathering extra details and speculating on them when the chapter closed. But that is personal preference, and it may not bother another reader at all. 

Besides the point I mentioned, this is a great resource on the temple and tabernacle, and it gives a wonderful glimpse into how history causes Scripture to come alive. A good book to make you think about the glory of God and how we as believers are called to live out His glory in our own lives while we wait for the final glory of the holy city, the new Jerusalem. 

I received this book free from Baker Books through the Baker Books Bloggers www.bakerbooks.com/bakerbooksbloggers program. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.