Under the Wings of God

The book Under the Wings of God is so much more than a devotional, although it could serve as one. The author masterfully incorporates Bible verses and stories with insight he has gleaned from life experience, wisdom from older texts, and references to popular culture reads. This is a multi-layered work that provided me with a deeper appreciation for Christian teaching. I consider myself a non-denominationalist and the author's perspective challenged me to go deeper with concepts re: Job, patience, humility, and even Christ's death on the cross. I respect the essence of all teachings and I found nothing offensive in this work, and yet, that's not to say the author is a lukewarm teacher. He is not! He is a true believer and if he does not make one out of you, the reader, at the very least you will come away edified and enlightened.

“We are like fledglings who scuttle under the wings of their parent. The forces of evil beat on those wings with everything they have… But no final evil can get to us because those wings have never folded.” This is what Cornelius Plantinga Jr. writes in response to Psalm 91.

That, and many other parts of Under the Wings of God, surprised me with their ability to show me scripture in a new light. Cornelius takes twenty passages from scripture and reflects on them in ways that remind me of Eugene Peterson and James Martin--ways that only someone who has lived a life of thoughtful and prayerful reflection can. This was my first encounter with him and I think there’s much more to uncover. The spiritual reflections read like mini sermons, yet thankfully, there is less reliance on commentary and more reliance on experience and plain readings of scripture.

Just read this:

“How do you tell whether somebody is fit for heaven? You look for hospitality. “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matt. 25:35). The readiness to welcome a stranger.” How ordinary and yet, how true. And what a commentary on modern American (and Evangelical) politics. It’s insights like these that challenge me and hopefully will challenge those around me to integrate simple concepts, like “etiquette” and “politeness” into deep theological reflection on the state of my heart.

Cornelius makes the Bible feel a bit more like poetry and I’m grateful for it. No more wooden Bible studies with canned questions about life application and “where do we go from here” responses. These reflections are more of an open-ended adventure and they breathe new life into Scripture. Well done.

Ordinary believers honour the Bible. Church-goers read the Bible. Academics analyze the Bible. Devotees meditate on the Bible. Pastors preach the Bible. Authors write about the Bible. It would seem like the Bible is used in so many different ways. Those seeking a closer walk with God will not be content with any form of superficial reading. They will also meditate and contemplate the Word of God. As purposed in the cover of this book, renowned Professor Cornelius Plantinga shares 20 reflections to help us grow deeper in faith. In each chapter, he begins with the full Bible passage and a brief description. This is followed by a reflection which occupies the bulk of the chapter. Ending each chapter is a prayer. Plantinga starts with Ps 91 where a cursory reading would say it is about security in God. A deeper reading would be an exhortation not to worry. He takes the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37 and applies it powerfully to the intellectual pursuit of God, something that some ordinary believers tend to dismiss as a mere academic exercise. The key lies in the reason for the study: Loving God more with the mind. We read about Colossians 3's exhortation to patience and how the author connects it with other attributes like anger management. Some of the most powerful reflections happen to be the way conventional beliefs are turned on their heads. For example, in Exodus 32, the text describes how the Israelites turned away from God and worshiped the golden calf. Plantinga describes the episode in such a way that we can all see the dangers and pain of adultery. While most people would dismiss Israel then as the adulterous nation that is only bent on disappointing God, a closer reading reveals that was not the case. They may have worshiped other gods but they still have the desire to worship the True God. They simply are people who practice spiritual polygamy. While the Bible condemns adultery in its strongest terms, there is also grace that overwhelms punishment for sin. Following this thread, in Genesis 4:1-16, there is the story of Cain and Abel where jealousy turned to murder. This led to the banishment of Cain who became cursed to be a restless wanderer. Further reflection points to a man though tarnished by sin still desires a close relationship with God. This is not something that we can pick up unless we observe the way the text was written. 

My Thoughts
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This book is more than just a devotional. It is an insightful book about theological truths that point to the practice of the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. There are many stories and illustrations that accompany each passage. Like a sermon, they provide clarity to the key points of the biblical texts. What makes it most engaging was how Plantinga takes our understanding to a whole new level, one that encapsulates the love of God even in the midst of sin and suffering. By bringing theological truths into greater clarity, he makes the study of the Bible interesting. Hopefully, this will not make anyone shy about the pursuit of theology. The author also gives the devotional a practical flavour. In the chapter on "Practice Hospitality," he provides "Nine little habits of highly hospitable people" to supplement the reflection on Romans 12:9-12. At the same time, knowing the limits in which we have, he adopts a gracious acknowledgment that we should share what we could and not be guilty about what we could not do. These twenty reflections will set the stage for readers to do their own reflections as well.

This is no ordinary devotional. It is both instructional and inspirational. Instructional because of the faithfulness to the meaning and contexts of the Bible and inspirational because of the way it reveals the character of God to us. It is also interesting to note how Plantinga ends the book with a reflection on Job. A superficial reading of Job frontloads us that the whole tragedy that affects Job begins with a bet. Critics would accuse God of being unfair to Job. If we simply read and limit ourselves to the story of Job, we would have missed the point of the Bible. By linking us to the person of Christ, who suffered unjustly, we would see Job as a glimpse of the greater redemption that is to come in history. Perhaps, that is the way we should conclude our reflections on the Bible, just like in our prayers, we conclude in the Name of Jesus. That is a good way to declare our faith.

Cornelius (Neal) Plantinga (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the author of many books, including the Christianity Today Book Award winners Not the Way It's Supposed to Be, Engaging God's World, and Reading for Preaching. His most recent book is Morning and Evening Prayers. Plantinga has also served on the boards of Books & Culture, First Things, and Reformed Journal.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Brazos Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

It's been a long time since a Christian book has challenged me or offered me something new to think about, but Under the Wings of God was a pleasant surprise. The author has not only chosen some Scripture that is not-as-often-talked-about in the church, but he's drawn on some really unique images to try to paint the picture for the reader. In addition, he tells a few stories about the Scriptures themselves that are new to me, and well, sometimes that spark is what I need to be reminded that God is always doing something new...even in the ageless things He's always doing.

It's not a complex read by any means, but definitely engaging. It stirs the soul. Add it to your list today, and give yourself time to soak in each chapter.

If you're only going to buy one devotional type of book this year, I have no hesitation in recommending that it ought to be Plantinga's "Under the Wings of God." The author has the ability to take passages the reader assumes they are familiar with, and open them up so that the reader can see the powerful, glorious truths in them. I have never read another author with the ability to communicate as powerfully and pastorally as Plantinga. He has a deft touch, chastening when necessary, elsewhere encouraging, depending on the passage he is bringing to life, always providing an illustration or explanation that perfectly fits the point he is bringing to the fore. Reading this book will grow your understanding of the God revealed in Scripture, and help you grow in your faith and love for God.

I read and very much enjoyed one of Plantinga's books (Engaging God's World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living) in college, so was particularly excited to see this book appear on NetGalley.

Now I want to go re-read _Engaging God's World_, lol!

Plantinga writes engagingly and informally in _Under the Wings of God_--the perfect approach to a devotional. He notes in the introduction a desire for the reader to really engage with Scripture, and he absolutely succeeds here. So many devotionals on the market today are just a verse or two and a page of extrapolation--not so this read, for which I am thankful. It includes (or points the reader to) extended passages of scripture, along with decently lengthy writings of Plantinga's own. Christ ought to be what we focus on most, and I certainly feel this read helps with that.

Meaningful and thought-provoking; 4/5 stars.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Plantinga writes very well and clearly has a good grasp of Scripture. He's an absorbing storyteller.

As he states in his introduction, reflecting or meditating on Scripture is an important spiritual practice and these 20 reflections certainly make you reflect on both the verses plus the meaning Plantinga draws out.

Each reflection is 4-5 pages long and are based on a particular set of verses. As is always a good idea when meditating on Scripture, Plantinga encourages the reader to read the entire chapter that he's drawing out the particular reflection.

I felt the various 'topics' were a bit hit and miss. I appreciate each day's was a unique reflection and were able to standalone, however, I guess I was hoping there might be some undercurrent of a theme that might pull them together. As a result, some days reflections weren't as interesting as others.

There were some beauties, however. The last one on Job is an excellent perspective on this most challenging of books and I'm certain I will reflect on it again.

Don't let my review discourage you, as some of the other ones are quite glowing in their praise.

I was fortunate to receive and early ebook copy from the publisher via NetGalley with no expectation of a favourable review.

While I'm always thrilled to see books that encourage going beyond a shallow "plain reading of the text", I find myself wanting more theological and contextual depth and less modern-day spin on the text.

Devotional literature comes in many different forms. One of the most common is a short passage of scripture followed by some brief text to help you contemplate that scripture. At a surface level this short book is an example of the genre. However, in the hands of Dr. Plantinga it becomes something more than a quick sip of scripture before rushing into your day. Dr. Plantinga helps the reader see the scripture text through fresh eyes. The result is a desire to follow the instructions of the introduction to "mull over," "consider," and "dwell on" the scriptural text. After the readings I often found myself sitting and thinking through the scripture passage I had read at the beginning of the reading and how it might make a difference in the daily business of living.

The readings were a bit uneven in their ability to engage my imagination but they always left me with something helpful to explore. I highly recommend, *Under the Wings of God* to anyone looking for an aid to scripture contemplation and application.