A Godward Life

A Godward Life is the first of three devotional volumes by John Piper, each feature 120 vignettes that focus on the radical difference it makes when we choose to live with God at the center of all that we do. Scripture-soaked and touching on the issues which most affect our lives today, A Godward Life is a passionate, moving, and articulate call for all believers to live their lives in conscious and glad submission to the sovereignty and glory of God.

A Godward Life is the first of three devotional volumes by John Piper, each feature 120 vignettes that focus on the radical difference it makes when we choose to live with God at the center of all that we do. Scripture-soaked and touching on the issues which most affect our lives today, A Godward Life is a passionate, moving, and articulate call for all believers to live their lives in conscious and glad submission to the sovereignty and glory of God.

To Satisfy Your Soul — with God John Piper invites you to experience deeper intimacy with God through these thought-provoking and soul-enriching meditations. Whether you are just discovering the divine richness of Scripture or have long been a passionate student, you’ll find a deeper understanding of God and renewed insight for your journey.

A Godward Life is the first of three devotional volumes by John Piper, each feature 120 vignettes that focus on the radical difference it makes when we choose to live with God at the center of all that we do. Scripture-soaked and touching on the issues which most affect our lives today, A Godward Life is a call for all believers to live their lives in conscious and glad submission to the sovereignty and glory of God.

31 meditations from the founder of Desiring God that will connect you to a fresh understanding of God and renew your faith. "You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). Living knowing that your life is a vapor is different than just living. Things here are passing away. You’ve got to hold on to what will stand. Savor what matters. This collection of thirty-one articles is full of that heart-longing after Christ that distinguishes Piper’s preaching ministry. You will feel as though you have stumbled into a garden as you enter these pages. The Scripture cuts, Christ is exalted in God, and we worship Him. Life Is Short. Eternity Is Long. Live Like It. You will exist forever. You and God are both in the universe to stay—either as friends on His terms, or enemies on yours—which it will be is proven in this life. And this life is a vapor. Two seconds, and we will be gone. In these thirty-one meditations, John Piper will connect you to a fresh understanding of God and a renewed relationship with Him. You’ll find your faith stirred to make every day count for Christ when you consider life as a vapor. Story Behind the Book Time is precious. We are fragile. Life is short. Eternity is long. Every minute counts. Oh, to be a faithful steward of the breath God has given me. Three texts resound in my ears: “Redeem the time” (Ephesians 5:16 ); “It is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy” (1 Corinthians 4:2); “His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10 ). Surely God means for our minutes on earth to count for something significant. Paul said, “In the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain” (Philippians 2:16). In the same way, I have good hope from the Lord that my “labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58 ).

“May these meditations become in your life the living embodiment of God’s Word and penetrate to the deep places of your soul. God has a good work to do there.” –John Piper ONLY GOD CAN SATISFY YOUR SOUL. Every day, the world takes another step away from God’s truth and into greater moral and spiritual relativism. If your view of life is fed by a steady diet of television news and popular opinion, you’ll find yourself starved, parched, and confused. But there is a way for your soul to be satisfied and at peace during these turbulent times. The answer is to turn those hungers, questions, and desires towards God. These meditations offer a daily serving of God’s Word along with practical insights from beloved pastor and author John Piper. Each reading reorients you to the eternal rather than the popular. In a world where ephemeral feelings are valued more than firm facts and eternal joys, each selection will awaken you to the truth of who God is—and who you are. These 120 devotional readings celebrate God’s sovereignty in every aspect of our world, from how to feed our soul, the danger of hero worship, and loving our enemies, to suffering, having a passion for purity, and ways we can be a refuge for our children. This collection offers a daily feast of truth and wisdom that places God right where He belongs—at the center of our lives. These meditations originally appeared in John Piper’s Pierced by the Word, Life as a Vapor, and A Godward Heart. YOU ARE INVITED TO ENJOY THE RAREST OF TREASURES… The world tries to distract our minds. Deaden our hearts. Water down our beliefs. If there are no absolutes, then we can pursue whatever tickles our fancy. We are the captain of our destiny. But, sadly, the result is that we remain hopelessly adrift in a constantly changing sea of confusion. There is a better answer: Rather than numb our soul, we can fully satisfy it. Instead of letting the world squeeze us into its mold, we can be molded into sons and daughters of God. The solution is to feast on God’s Word and drink deep from His river of life. These daily meditations invite us into this central promise about God: You are good and do good; Teach me your statutes. –Psalm 119:68 Discover the supremacy of God in every area of your life...and as the only source of a truly satisfied soul.

Throughout Christian history, the overwhelmingly predominant view of the Bible has been that it is itself the living and active word of God. In this book Timothy Ward explains and defends what we are really saying when we trust and proclaim, as we must, that the Bible is God's word. In particular he describes the nature of the relationship between the living God and Scripture. He examines why, in order to worship God faithfully, we need to pay close attention to the Bible; why, in order to be faithful disciples of Jesus, the Word-made-flesh, we need to base our lives on the words of the Bible; and why, in order to keep in step with the Holy Spirit, we need to trust and obey what the Bible says. Ward offers an understanding of the nature of Scripture under three main headings. A biblical outline shows that the words of the Bible form a significant part of God's action in the world. A theological outline focuses on the relationship of Scripture with each of the persons of the Trinity. And a doctrinal outline examines the 'attributes' of Scripture. A final chapter explores some significant areas in which the doctrine of Scripture should be applied. Ward offers us an excellent, lucid exposition of the nature and function of Scripture, expressed in a form appropriate for the tweny-first century, grounded in the relevant scholarship, and standing firmly in line with the best of the theological traditions.

Humankind is on a journey. People move in different directions under heaven in order to reach various destinations, clearly identified by the author as follows: forward by means of astrology; backward by history; upward by religion; downward and inward by science, art, philosophy and technology. You see, none of these directions has the capacity to answer mankind's deep-seated questions and lead them to the ultimate destination - God! Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through me" (John 14:6, NIV). As simple as this sounds, it is the greatest answer to all of man's questions. The best direction to take in life therefore is Godward! And there is only one acceptable route - He is Jesus Christ, without whom every journey embarked upon will be an exercise in futility.