Reviewing For The Tough Times

As part of a deal with Thomas Nelson, I have agreed to review For The Tough Times by Max Lucado in exchange for a free copy of the book. What follows is my review.

This was the first Max Lucado book I’ve read, but it fit with everything I’d heard of him. The book was true to Christianity’s basic principles, was easy to read, and was comforting to the reader. On the other hand, it was also a bit simple, and perhaps too trite for some. Overall, it is a very pleasant read, and it represents God’s goodness in a loving way.

The basic idea of For The Tough Times is that God is sovereign and watching out for us, so we may find comfort during trials. Lucado assures the reader of God’s goodness, of His sovereignty, and of His historical use of trials to bring about good.

The book is only 83 pages long, and it has very small dimensions as well. It can easily be read in an hour. Each chapter is short and to the point, but Lucado does well to introduce Scripture into all of them. He is faithful to Scripture, and faithful to revealing the God who is seen in it

My two concerns with this book are minor, but I think they are worth mentioning. First, Lucado presents very simple truths in very simple ways. This book offers nothing new to anyone who has been a believer for very long. The truths are foundational, but they are also very basic. My second worry is that Lucado may seem too trite to a reader who is struggling with pain and doubt during a trial. Lucado is a gifted writer, but his attempts to sound poetic may come off as flippancy to some readers.

In all, I enjoyed the book, although it didn’t take long to get through. I think it would make a great gift to a young person or a new believer, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a study on a theology or doctrine of suffering.

Tags: reviews, suffering