In "When God's Ways Make No Sense" Larry Crab offers a challenge to believers when they wrestle with the mystery of God and His direction/sovereignty in our lives and world. In order to guide the reader, Crabb presents three ways that people tend to respond when confronted with the incomprehensible ways of God. Using three Biblical models, Crabb invites us to choose how we will respond. First he offers the example of Jonah, a guy called by God to a place he did not want to go. He responds by running. Often we respond to God's direction and ways by running as well. Second, Crabb offers the example of Saul before his conversion and mission to the gentiles. This man was zealous for following God and did not wish for God to upset his status quo. In this way he denied the way God was working in his life and world. We sometimes respond to God's work in this way as well. Finally, Crabb offers the example of Habakkuk who questions God when God reveals that Israel will be judged through defeat by a foreign empire. Instead of denying God's direction or running away, Habakkuk responds in faith, trust, and with trembling. Crabb declares that we should respond to God's mysterious ways with faith, trust and trembling.
Crabb moves on from this point, exploring parts of his own journey with doubt and seeking direction from God in the midst of hard things. While discussing this, he declares himself to be a Christian Deist. He states that basically this means that he believes that God is constantly acting in our world, but sometimes we cannot grasp his acting so it seems He is hands off. Situations such as natural disasters and sickness fall into this idea. This is a great attempt at seeking to describe God's mysterious acting in the midst of trial, persecution and disaster. The idea of a Christian Deist seems like an oxymoron. One cannot believe in Christ as Lord and acknowledge His saving actions and still claim the title of Deist. There is likely a better term for what Crabb seeks to explain here.
Overall, the book is really readable and allows for those who struggle with how God works in the midst of the challenges of life to wrestle a little more. Many should read this book, but with a careful eye for understanding Crabb's terminology in the midst of historical understandings of similar terms.
I received this book as part of Baker Publishing House's Blogging program.
