Embracing Trust: The Art of Letting Go and Holding On to a Forever-Faithful God
Author: Joanna Weaver
Published in 2022 by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group
If you have been longing to grow in a deeper trusting relationship with God, you need to read Embracing Trust by Joanna Weaver! I am 100% behind this message. I was so excited to discover the book that I even joined the launch team (my first one ever) and it was a lot of fun. It’s the kind of book you can come back to again and again and each time be inspired and challenged by something different.
I love the subtitle The Art of Letting God and Holding On to a Forever-Faithful God. It tells exactly what the book is about. As an art, trust is a beautiful and messy journey. Joanna helps us with stories and practical tips to let go of the things that are holding us back from fully trusting God: our illusions of control, the things we turn to for comfort or confidence, our idols, offenses, fears, and other things. And she helps us grasp more firmly onto belief in God’s character and His word. She comes alongside like a good coach: encouraging, challenging, and cheering us on toward greater trust in God.
It is written to Christian women who want to grow deeper in trusting God. I would think most of her readers are at least a little familiar with the Bible, but this is not necessary as Joanna presents each Bible passage she uses clearly.
Throughout the book Joanna “weaves” (pun intended!) the story of King David. We learn from his trust in God and from how he handles his sin. Another recurrent character is the humorous but all-too-relatable “Flesh Woman.” Like Joanna says, “… Nothing awakens our Flesh Woman like injustice. Without the power of God at work within us, we will naturally default to the patterns of our fallen nature,” (p105).
Joanna is candid about her own shortcomings, and she is clear that trust is a supernatural grace given to us by God; we can’t conjure it for ourselves. Her consistent trust in God over the decades through thick and thin (evident through her stories and the fruit of her life) gives her the authority to write on the topic. That is not to say there is not a place for doubt. Joanna addresses doubt and unbelief and helpfully distinguishes believing doubt from unbelieving doubt. “Honest doubt doesn’t cancel honest faith,” she writes (p165). This is a comfort to many – but also an invitation and a challenge.
Almost every chapter has practical steps that are easy enough to do right away but still grounded in God’s grace rather than our own effort. For example, Chapter 12: The Gift of Discipline lists “8 practices for spiritual maintenance” including, “Ask the Holy Spirit to increase your spiritual hunger.” Chapter 7: Smashing Idols has some really good questions for uncovering idols in our lives.
Some of my favourite things about this book:
- Like Joanna’s husband, John, said at the launch party: it’s exciting that the book is now published, but they are more excited that the message is getting out to those who need it.
- Joanna’s stories and metaphors are memorable and help to illustrate her point and deepen trust in God.
- Joanna expounds on a few scriptures, phrase by phrase. Lingering with one phrase at a time helps the truth of scripture sink deeper into the heart.
The chapter that challenged me the most is Chapter 11: Content in His Love. I’d like to memorise her definition of contentment: “a quality that is cultivated by a continual trust in God as we look to Him to be our source of peace and joy,” (p179). I have been more discontent than content in the amount of “free time” I have available to write. As a full-time mom with two young children that is understandable, but I am convicted by the phrase, “…the lust that often accompanies discontentment…” (p185). I want more time… but will it ever be enough? I’d rather learn to trust God in this area of my time and my writing and enjoy the “peace and joy” of that trusting stance.
The chapter that encouraged me most in my current season is Chapter 9: Living Beyond Your Dreams. Joanna gives practical suggestions for living well when we have big dreams that don’t seem to be happening. Counter to the world’s advice to strive to make our dreams come true, Joanna reminds us to abide in God, trusting Him to make them happen. I was greatly encouraged to keep trusting God’s perfect plans, even though I don’t understand His timing or how it will all work out.
If I had to come up with something I did not like about this book, it would be a matter of preference related to writing style. Joanna often uses phrases to expound on a previous thought. This can be done well (and is at times), but several times I found myself scanning back to make sense of a sentence, only to find it was not a complete sentence.
I have had to trust God through a fair bit in my life so far (well, in everything, but in some especially big challenges too). Joanna’s book helped me open my heart to trust even more. I don’t love assigning star ratings to books, but this one is an easy 5/5 stars!
Have you read it yet? What stood out most to you?
