"Things Not Seen" by Jon Bloom - a fresh look at bible stories

Jon Bloom's Things Not Seen focuses on familiar stories from the bible and offers a fresh perspective on how God was working. Old Testament and New, this is proof of God's grace, love, and hope - His ability to change the agonizing circumstances into blessing.

Right from the 2-page Word to the Reader, I knew that if I took nothing else from the book, those few short paragraphs would be blessing enough: they are a reminder of hope. After naming multiple well-known figures of the bible who agonized over the circumstances, it says, "Now think of the blessing that each agony eventually produced." And each example DID lead to blessing, even--and especially--Jesus dying on the cross. Whatever we may suffer, however much we may hurt, there is HOPE.

If you have a problem with any sort of variation on scripture other than the traditional approved translations, then this book may not be for you. It takes a well-known bible story and makes a key section--maybe one that we aren't privy to, but likely happened in the background--into a story rather than straight bible verses. It encourages us to see the story differently, a different angle of how God was working in these people. For example, in the story of Joseph, it elaborates on the scene where the eleven sons return from Egypt and tell Jacob that Joseph is alive, confessing their role in how he ended up there. In this story-like version, the emotions of those involved are clear, and God's role in changing hearts is emphasized.

However, if you are growing bored with the bible or needing a fresh perspective, then this book would be a good choice to read in tandem with the bible. The chapters are short, only a few pages, and would work well in a bible study or as a devotional. It encourages the reader to look deeper than the surface events and really dig in to God's hand at work.

Thank you Crossway and NetGalley for providing an e-book for review; I was not required to make the review positive, and all opinions are my own.