Review: What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days by Holly Gerth

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We all have hard days. Some people have only a few of them, at least for the present.  Some face an unrelenting succession of difficult times.  And some have sadness woven so deeply into their souls that it seems joy will never return (and if that’s you, please do seek professional help as well as meditate on this little book).

The Psalms speak to us in our sadness, whatever it is. In What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days Holly Gerth goes through the Psalms in 52 tiny chapters, reminding us that God cares for us, never leaves us, and calls us his own.  She also reminds us that God is speaking to us today, that he protects us and that his ways are best for us.

We Christians do, in our minds, already know these things. But sometimes our hearts do not understand them, and that is what the Psalms often address and what Holly distills for us.

She works through several Psalms at a time while focusing on one text per devotion. Each of the short, practical chapters ends with the beginning of a prayer, space to write out a personalized ending, and space to record “What My Heart is Hearing from You.”

Since the Psalms are multifaceted, these devotionals can be wise inspiration whatever our circumstances. We need to remember that God is in charge; it is better to live one day in God’s will than spend a thousand years in a mansion without him; we must hold onto the truth that the enemy has been defeated and trust God to free us from his lies; God often uses hard times to prepare us for future service; God brings us from anxiety to joy.

Of course, What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days is not at all a balanced perspective on the Psalms; instead it highlights their comfort.  And, especially in hard times, we may need this help to remember how God lovingly cares for us.

Holly Gerth has had her share of hard days and on top of that she struggles with depression. This book is, however, not full of complaints, though she does mention issues in her life that have been resolved.  Instead, having lived through the hard days, she is able to reach out to those who are currently experiencing them.

Not only the content of this book is soothing; its slightly padded cover and cheerful polka dots also add a touch of comfort. What’s more, What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days is small enough to fit inside a purse and take along wherever you are going.  I spent many waiting hours with this little book on my lap and the Bible open on my cell phone, being nourished by Holly speaking Scripture into my life.

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This is yet another book in the in the 2014 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge and is also linked to Saturday Reviews, Works for Me Wednesdays, Booknificent Thursdays, Coffee for Your Heart, and Raising Homemakers.

Disclosure: This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and is available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.