Bookshelf

Voices of the Faithful: Inspiring Stories of Courage from Christians Serving Around the World

by Beth Moore, Kim P. Davis and friends

Available in Hardback. Thomas Nelson, 2005; ISBN: 159145364X; 480 pages.


Missions is a partnership -- it's teamwork between the people who go and the people who give (thereby allowing those who go to go). Unfortunately, we often set a division between missionaries and "ordinary" people. This book helps create a link between "professional" missionaries and the rest of us by sharing personal stories from the front line. Sometimes we at home don't know how to pray for our missionaries. We struggle to understand what they may face each day. This books offers daily devotionals written by nearly 300 missionaries, compiled by Beth Moore and Kim P. Davis. It's a powerful work bringing the truth of our mission home, making it personal.

A different theme is assigned to each month. January discusses God's character; March talks about prayer; June persecution. By the end of the year, you will have touched on twelve extremely valuable, edifying areas of faith. Each one-page devotional is dated (though you certainly don't have to go by the calendar). It starts with a passage of Scripture, typically just a verse or two, then tells a true story of that missionary's experiences. The page ends with a short prayer.

Final Thoughts: Definitely recommended. I am passionate about missions, but sometimes everyday life can encumber us, helping us forget those who live their lives fully to build God's kingdom. This book keeps them and our personal responsibility to the Great Commission at the forefront of the mind. It's encouraging. It's challenging. It's something every Christian should read.