Thomas Nelson, 2013, 240 pp., $14.64
Max Lucado has perfected the art of transforming biblical narrative into contemporary insight, and in You’ll Get Through This, Lucado weds the Joseph saga from Genesis to our own turbulent times. This isn’t a book of the times, necessarily, as Max addresses a full spectrum of challenging topics from marital problems to cancer to the more pressing financial and social stresses in the news.
At the same time, Lucado doesn’t talk down (or talk up, for that matter) to his readers. Rather, he allows for an ample supply of humor throughout—including a few self-deprecating jabs at his boating skills—but through these stories, which are abundant, Lucado also makes a point and several of pointed variety, including his stand-up one-liner chapter titled “Stupid Won’t Fix Stupid” and the perhaps less popular chapter on looking past revenge.
Reading this book, one might get the feeling these chapters originally were sermons (and they likely were), but there’s a freshness to the writing and an accessibility to the insights so the book doesn’t come across as preachy. Up front and personal is also Lucado’s Survivor’s Creed, which essentially reminds us that we will get through the tough times, in time, with God’s help.
There’s really no ending to spoil with a book like this, and Lucado has a way of making anyone feel better by the final page. It’s not a light book necessarily, but it is highly readable. Whether for individual devotion or a group study, the reflective chapter-by-chapter guide at the end of the book is for further prayer and thought. If not over-marketed by the book’s aim, Lucado is using this one to prop up some Salvation Army work in New York; a portion of every purchase goes toward helping someone going through a tough time—not a bad idea given the tough times in which we live. It’s always a good idea to find some encouragement and hope with Max regardless of whether your current time is turbulent.