Review for "Good News at Rock Bottom" by Ray Ortlund

"Good News at Rock Bottom" by Ray Ortlund is a refreshingly accessible and impactful read. Written in clear, straightforward language, it’s perfect for anyone looking for a short yet meaningful exploration of life’s struggles. Ortlund dives into tough topics like sin, betrayal, loneliness, and death, offering both insight and encouragement. His use of humor adds warmth to the serious themes, making the book both comforting and engaging.

The central focus on Isaiah 57:15 is a true highlight. Ortlund beautifully reminds readers that no matter how low we may feel, God is with us in our “rock bottom” moments. This message of hope and presence is both powerful and uplifting.

Each chapter also ends with thoughtful questions for reflection, giving readers the opportunity to process the material more deeply and apply it to their own lives. This is a wonderful feature that encourages personal growth and spiritual reflection.

One of the things I truly appreciated about the book is its brevity—it's short but profoundly impactful. It’s a perfect read for those seeking spiritual encouragement without feeling overwhelmed by length or complexity.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Crossway for providing the eARC of this book. Highly recommended for anyone in need of a quick, heartening read!

Life can be hard and, at various points, you may find yourself at rock bottom. Ray Ortlund’s book Good News at Rock Bottom came out of his own experiences with pain and brokenness and is for those who want “enough hope to keep going with dignity” and “feel loved by [Christ]” (3). Using Isaiah 57 he shows the reader how Christ is already with people when they find themselves at rock bottom after experiencing betrayal, the effects of sin, loneliness, or death.

Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite’”. Ortlund uses this passage to show the reader that “there is no way our Lord will keep his distance from us down in our deepest need. That is the very place where he dwells most intentionally, with newness of life we scarcely believe is real until we experience it ourselves” (111). He admits that “it’s easy to go to church in the mushy middle, but its hard to be awestruck by God there” (18). As Ortlund goes through each moment of rock bottom he acknowledges and reflects on the hurt and pain which is experienced and then shows how God cares for those needs. It is in these low moments that God shows the depth of His love for His people, this is the good news that believers can hold on to while at rock bottom.

Ortlund clearly works through the Isaiah passage and lovingly applies the hope found in it to the rock bottoms of betrayal, sin, loneliness, and death. He draws from Christians throughout Church history to show, as “the great preacher Charles Spurgeon has been quoted as saying, ‘It is folly to think the Lord provides grace for every trouble but the one you are in today’” (7-8). At the end of each chapter there are helpful discussion questions which allow the reader to reflect on how Christ has been present in their own pain.

While this book is helpful for anyone to read, I think it would be beneficial for small groups to work through as they remind each other how God has been and continues to be with them in moments of rock bottom.

Thank you, Crossway Publishing, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In this book author, Ray Ortland, provides hope and encouragement to those enduring some of life’s most difficult and challenging circumstances. Derived from a series of Wednesday evening church talks, Ortland uses Isaiah 57:15 to effectively tackle such topics as betrayal, entrapment, loneliness, and death. It is well-written and designed to bring healing to those who have hit rock bottom. I do recommend this book to Christians who are struggling and I plan to share it, along with its valuable insights, with those that I know who are hurting.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Crossway Books for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was a great Christian nonfiction book! I think it may be better for people who are going through a hard time, and as I am blessed right now to not be going through something super difficult. However, it was very well written and helpful all the same.

Definitely recommend!
In Good News at Rock Bottom, Ray Ortlund acts as parental comforter, intimate friend, compassionate pastor (or if you prefer a sports metaphor, the coach in the locker room with a rousing halftime speech) as he gives an encouraging and practical exposition of one verse -- Isaiah 57:15. It seems that Pastor Ortlund is teaching us all what it means to truly meditate on a verse of Scripture, to consider it from every angle. To allow our meditations to lead us to worship God and to live righteous, God-glorifying lives.
The tone is conversational, empathetic, gentle, and restorative. For anyone who is struggling with guilt, unforgiveness, painful memories, or acute suffering – reach for this book. Not only is this book comforting in tone, but it communicates fortifying and necessary truth.
(Also, Ray Ortlund is a treasure trove of fantastic quotes and striking illustrations! I was highlighting almost every page!)

I loved how the author did a deep dive on Isaiah 57:15. So much wisdom from that verse alone which is awesome! 😊 God has such a caring heart for those of his children who are experiencing great suffering. ❤️

First sentence (from the preface): My plan here is to ask of you as little as I can and to give you as much as I can. You have a busy life to live. But right now, while we are together, literally on the same page, let's make the most of it. Here is what I promise you: I will try to explain the gospel of Jesus honestly and helpfully for your needs. I will not lie to you. And I will try to believe the gospel honestly and helpfully for my own needs. Here is what I ask of you: Give Jesus a chance. Allow for the possibility that the good news about him is relevant to what you really, really care about--maybe more relevant that you have ever dared to believe.

Good News at Rock Bottom began its life as a series of talks given at Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee in 2023. The book is about being at ROCK BOTTOM. It is about how there is good news--no, great news, fantastic news--at rock bottom. The book illuminates in particular Isaiah 57:15 though I am not limiting the book's use of Scripture just to one tiny--though important--verse.

There are just five chapters:
Way Up High, Way Down Low
Betrayed
Trapped
Lonely
Dying

The book is about sorrows, trials, tribulations--anything and everything which could lead you--the reader--to being at rock bottom and in need of refreshment [and spiritual healing] that can only come from the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was a fantastic read--always timely and relevant. I do think it falls close to being a must read. If you yourself are not at rock bottom--at the moment--you probably have been or might soon be. OR perhaps someone you love dearly is there now and you could be an encourager.

Good News at Rock Bottom is one of the most encouraging, realistic books I’ve read in a long time. Full of quotes from scripture and many notable Christians alike, it does not downplay the everyday struggles we face as humans in a fallen world, but it reminds us that there is nowhere that we can go, that Christ Himself has not already been. The bottom offers the same hope as the top, for Jesus is there, making a way for us. This book should be required reading for everyone who has ever felt alone, abandoned, or irrelevant, and haven’t we all? The tome is not a long one, and I intend to reread it, probably more than once. This you read and savor, and absorb the history and wisdom inside and make it your own.

This was a beautiful commentary and application of one verse—Isaiah 57:15. While it is a shorter read, it offered a great depth of content. In particular, I personally benefitted immensely from the final chapter on Dying. As a chaplain in a healthcare center, the application of this chapter alone was worth the read. Furthermore, Ortlund masterfully pulls in other theologians, authors, and quotes adding to the richness of this book.

I always am awed by how much can be gleaned from just one verse of Scripture. Yet, Ortlund applies the prophet's words of comfort to those who feel betrayed or lonely or trapped in their sin or even, as mentioned above, fearful of death. Even if you don't find yourself in one of those particular pits of life, though, there is value to anyone facing a rock bottom moment through the hope of the gospel application throughout. Each chapter conclusion offers discussion or reflection questions to allow the text to anchor more deeply in.

Unquestionably, Ortlund navigates through some tough waters, but I think he does a wonderful job applying the gospel truth and hope to those who are truly hurting. So, while the length of the book makes it accessible, the content does take some time to digest fully. Even then, you may find yourself wrestling with his perspective. Notably, Ortlund talks about death as a gift and a last act of obedience to the Lord. If you are reading through some of these chapters truly at rock bottom, the perspective shifts offered may be jarring at first, but they are there to offer an opportunity not to simply dwell on rock bottom but on the God who is with us at rock bottom.

I found this book to immensely hopeful and plan to share it with others. I am deeply grateful to NetGalley and Crossway Books for providing me with this Advanced Readers' Copy in exchange for my honest review.

The content was okay, but something about the tone felt off for a book about the struggles of life. There are other books on the subject that I much prefer.

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

This is a short and sweet resource for Christians who are hurting. Specifically, this book addresses Christians who feel betrayed, lonely, trapped in sin, or fearful of death. Ortlund offers encouragement with the love and truth of Christ.

I feel that this book does not have as much to say to Christians whose “rock bottom” comes from other circumstances or a feeling of God’s distance. While Ortlund still has some general encouragement for them, I found some phrases off-putting. For example (and please remember, I received an advanced review copy, so the wording may be different in the published version): “Thank you, Lord, for trouble” and “[in painful circumstances], Jesus surprises us with everything we really wanted all along.” For someone whose child has died, someone facing chronic health issues, or someone whose unanswered prayers leave them feeling forsaken by God, those words feel like cold comfort to me. But I’m not as spiritually mature as Ortlund’s dad, who could suffer agonizing pain and say “‘it’s a gift.’”

Overall, however, I was moved by Ortlund’s gentleness and thoughtfulness in this book as he speaks honestly to Christians in pain. The focus on Isaiah 57:15, which is analyzed insightfully and supported with other scripture, is unique and encouraging. There are helpful questions to ponder at the end of each chapter. Finally, the book concludes with a beautiful and powerful depiction of Heaven.

I recommend this resource to Christians, especially to those who feel betrayed, lonely, trapped in sin, or fearful of death, and who need some loving encouragement in Christ.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crossway for the free eARC! I post this review with my honest opinions. This review is cross-posted on Goodreads (see link); it will also be posted on Instagram and Amazon on the book’s publication date.