Made for God’s Pleasure

An intriguing accent caught my attention as I scanned the radio on our long drive. My then-fiancé said with surprise, “I didn’t know you liked Alistair Begg!”

I responded: “Is that this guy? I like his accent!”

My guy smirked. “I think you’ll also like what he has to say.”

Thus was my introduction to Alistair Begg and the ministry he leads, Truth for Life. Through this ministry, I’ve been blessed to discover favorite books like A Pilgrim’s Progress and Name Above All Names. Begg’s teaching has been instrumental in my faith (and my loved ones’.)

Made for His Pleasure, by Alistair Begg, is no exception.

This book is a brief, reflective, and practical read about the Christian’s ultimate purpose. You could use it easily as a devotional if read by subsections instead of chapters. It’s also wonderful for a long weekend and may be an excellent conversation starter for group study as well.

The focus of Made for His Pleasure is as the title suggests. Chapters highlight “signposts for the journey” of the Christian life lived to God’s glory.

Chapter topics include:

• Sacrifice
• Relationships
• Vocation
• Futility
• Humility

A blend of personal anecdotes, helpful illustrations, and Biblical insight, this book reads a bit like Proverbs might if organized by topic and expanded upon with other Scriptures.

Begg offers dynamic wisdom like:

• “Not everyone is called to foreign missions, but all are called to sacrifice.”
• “We need to view our daily round and common task as the realm in which we fulfill God’s call upon our lives and not rush to be done with these secular pursuits so that we might turn to spiritual activities.”
• “The truth is that more spiritual progress is made through failure and tears than success and laughter.”
• “How did Paul handle his sufferings and encourage the church to face theirs? Not by trying to produce heaven on earth, but by recognizing that for the Christian the best is yet to be.”
• “Until we are prepared to be thought foolish in the eyes of the world, it is unlikely that we will know the power of God being displayed in our lives and ministries.”

I recommend Made for His Pleasure to the serious Christian who desires gentle, kind conviction and direction in living life to please God.

<I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.>

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