Desiring God

BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ OTHER THAN THE BIBLE!

I've read quite a few theological works by great Christian authors, but in my opinion, they all pale in comparison to this one.

What John Piper does so well is to make it so clear that we are creatures made for worship, and we were created to worship God. It is in this activity alone that we find complete peace and satisfaction. It is not that we have too much desire; it is that we do not have enough desire. It is not that we seek too much satisfaction, but too little. God is the only desire that will fulfill us. Piper compares this truth to C.S. Lewis' infamous analogy of a child playing in the mud because he cannot imagine a holiday at the beach. We attempt to satisfy ourselves with lesser things to our detriment because we don't understand just how full our satisfaction can be when we seek it in God.

Piper does not stop there, however. He goes on to discuss what pursing God means and how to incorporate that pursuit into our daily lives. He tells us that joy is something we have to fight for, and he discusses various tactics for that battle. He makes his presentation very easy to understand. He uses quotations from other well-known Christian authors, such as C.S. Lewis, but he keeps theological rhetoric to a minimum. His style is conversational, and it was translated very well through the narrative talents of Grover Gardner. Gardner did an outstanding job with the narration with a beautiful melodic voice that maintains an upbeat cadence throughout the audiobook.

Let me just say that by applying Piper's view of God as my ultimate goal and desire, decisions have become much easier, bothersome thoughts don't bother me as much, and I am a much happier and more satisfied person.

I know...You're thinking..."Seriously? She read this book and it changed her life that much? This sound suspicously like that self-help nonsense that works for five minutes until life happens." Life has happened and life will happen, and I know that I will continue to see it differently...through the eyes of a God Who wants nothing more from me than my worship, praise, adoration, and love. I'm not suggesting that I will do this perfectly, but, at least, John Piper has shown me what a holiday at the beach with God might look like, and once you've seen an image like that, there's no going back.

62 people found this helpful

Best Blueprint for Living Life Honoring Christ

Next to the Holy Bible, this is the best book I have ever read. I reread this book about every year. It helps keep my life's focus on properly on desiring God more than anything this world can offer.

17 people found this helpful

Great Book, Bad narration

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator

How did the narrator detract from the book?

It sounded computer generated. There was little inflection and most of the time it was monotone. I would have preferred it being read by Piper himself. It seemed the narrator did not understand what had been written and therefore was unable to convey the depth of the book adequately. I actually stopped listening and went back to reading the book only.

11 people found this helpful

Chapter divisions are messed up

This audio version clipping of chapters doesn’t correspond with the printed book. Needs to be fixed

7 people found this helpful

God glorifying, soul encouraging

John Piper's classic has been on my list for years, and I only just got to it. Had I read it earlier in life, my life might have been different. Piper's exposition of the Scriptures' focus on the joy of the Lord in our hearts is beautiful, encouraging, and peace-inducing. He show's how God's pleasure is for us to find our pleasure IN HIM. It is not selfish, it's based on the fact that God actually IS the source of life, joy, and peace, and that our happiness and effectiveness are not possible unless resting in Him. But don't take my word for it, dive in for yourself.
This book can be read straight through, or almost as a devotional. It could even be re-read continually for continuous encouragement. I am so glad I finally got to this one. The joy of the Lord will be my strength.


Note: The only complaint I had about this audiobook was the chapters. The Audible chapters do not line up at all with the chapters of the book, so it's hard to know where I am in the book.

4 people found this helpful

Great, necessary concept. Redundant in some small ways and perhaps repetitive for seasoned Christians

John Piper makes an excellent case for why we are to delight in the Lord and find our pure joy in Christ. This book is needed for anyone who's struggling to love God more closely. I appreciated the many biblical references this book gave as well as its sound theology. Listening to it in a three-week span; it went by quick and I was able to notice that the second half of the book seems to be longer than necessary. In the beginning of the book he's already made the case for why we should pursue our joy in God. The remaining chapters describe how we should apply that to things in our lives such as marriage, money, missions, and prayer. In my opinion after the prayer chapter the points made in the remainder of the book could have been much shorter and much quicker. For where I'm at the remaining parts of the book beyond that were redundant. Nonetheless, this is a needed book for anybody who disciples, counsels, or needs encouragement in their walk with the glorious Lord.

3 people found this helpful

Content is excellent, audible layout frustrating

This is one of the most important Christian books written in the last 50 years. Unfortunately, the chapter selections in audible have no relation to the actual chapter in the book.

Select the reading to begin in chapter one and it starts midway through the first chapter. Select chapter 2 and the audible file begins in the actual chapter 1 of the book. Select chapter 3 and the audible file starts in mid chapter 3. And so on... this makes quickly finding a chapter to listen to all but impossible.

Since the audible and kindle versions are not synced, this flaw is a big problem.

2 people found this helpful

Changed my perspective!

Loved it! The concept of enjoying God and my walk with Christ was novel to me. Abiding in God should be something that I enjoy, not drudgery. I especially liked the chapter on suffering. I look forward to reading/listening to this book again!

2 people found this helpful

Life changing

Piper will blow you away with his work on Christian hedonism. Guaranteed to make you pause and examine your faith. Excellent.

2 people found this helpful

A must read for every preacher

I loved it. life changing. makes one take notice. I think I am going to become a fan of John Piper

2 people found this helpful