Embracing Joy

I love this devotional! There are 5 days for each week. At the end of each week are group study questions which enables this to be done individually or as part of a Bible study.

I love that there are quick daily devotions, but the layout is very original and different than most devotionals. Most devotions start with 1 Bible verse, a cute little story, then end with a short prayer. This one delves into the history of the Bible. It is laid out in something called the Transformational Bible Study Method which consists of 1. Intent 2. Truth 3. Transformation.
Intertwined are stories that help relate the content to everyday life. While it's based on Habakkuk there are also many other Bible verses referenced.

This is a good one if you want a quick daily read, but want more depth and substance than most daily devotionals.

Thanks to Netgalley and Our Daily Bread Publishing for a digital ARC.

When I saw that this was a study of Habakkuk, I knew I would love it and I did!!! I know this book will be one that I need to get as a physical copy so I can leave my notes on it and highlight all my favorite parts!!! I know this book will be an amazing addition to any church book club as so many of us need that reminder that no matter what we are facing we need to always remember and try to live in peace and have hope that God is in control ALWAYS!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Jean Wilund, and publisher for the ARC.

This is a wonderful 8 week devotional on the book Habakkuk. It provides wonderful insight and has really helped me understand the book and the history behind it. There are 5 daily devotionals a week that are easy to read, enjoyable, and simple. I highly recommend!

✨✨✨ARC REVIEW✨✨✨
Embracing Joy: An 8-Week Transformational Bible Study of Habakkuk
By: Jean Wilund
Pages: 312
Release Date: September 5th 2023

This is a devotional I received through @netgalley so my review will be a bit different then the other ARCs I review on my page!

I thought this was a great devotional and it was easy to follow. I went through it like I would any other devotional and felt like I was able to get a good understand of the book of Habakkuk.

As someone who has never read the book of Habakkuk I was worried about the devotional not making sense or just making it more confusing but that was not the case! I also was concerned this would be a boring devotional on a “boring” book but I am so glad to say I was wrong!

Devotion Description:
How do you find joy in joyless times?
 
Discover one of the shortest, most overlooked books of the Old Testament—one that contains an ancient message filled with modern-day hope. Jean Wilund invites you to unpack its three chapters and learn from the life and world of the prophet Habakkuk.
 
This eight-week study points you to everlasting peace and abundant joy. Through probing questions, Jean’s three-step transformational Bible study method, and plenty of space to write notes and prayers, you’ll uncover the powerful truths that transformed Habakkuk’s perspective despite the violence and destruction that ruled the kingdom of Judah.
 
No matter what you’re going through or what tomorrow brings, there is hope to be found in the book of Habakkuk.

When I started reading this Bible Study, I wondered how there would be enough material to fill eight weeks when the book of Habakkuk is a mere three chapters and a total of 56 verses? Believe me, Jean Wilund has risen to the task with this excellent Bible Study!

I especially like her new-to-me approach using the Transformational Bible Study Method.
(The following explanation of the method is taken from the book.)

1. Intent: What was the author's intent to his original audience?

2. Truth: What truths does God's Word reveal about the character, nature, and ways of God, and that of anyone or anything other than God?

3. Transformation: If I truly believe and act on what God has revealed in this passage, how with the motivations and attitudes of my heart transform and my actions be different tomorrow?

There are five lessons for each week followed by Group Study questions making this a good tool for both self and group studies.

Well done!

My thanks to Our Daily Bread Publishing for permitting me to access a DRC of the book via NetGalley. It is currently scheduled for publication 9/5/23. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

This book did a deep dive into a book of the bible I had not heard about much. I liked how the author used personal stories and stories of others to illustrate the faith in God contained in the book of Habakkuk. I did not like that it offered up the same question for reflection each day, although the devotional was on a different theme. This did not inspire me to journal my thoughts. I also felt disconnected because the discussions on how each verse in Habakkuk connected to other verses in the bible felt a bit incohesive sometimes. I would still recommend this book to work through as a group for people who are the stage of their bible study journey that it would benefit them to make deep connections between bible passages around the theme of joy and living with an eternal worldview. I found a verse that really stuck out to me and it wasn't even in Habakkuk!

First, I love that the references are not limited to one version of the bible. There is references noted to be from the ESV, HCSB, NIV, NKJV. This always enriches a study and was shown in this bible study book. This study is very timely and needed in our chaotic world where nothing is guaranteed and we are in an increasingly unstable environment. This is a study inclined for both individual study and than group study at the end of the week as well. Something to note is that this is not the final version, there is a large number of spacing issues in the text and titles which are off from the format.

Embracing Joy by Jean Wilund is an 8-week Bible study on the book of Habakkuk. I found that the Bible study was well done, dividing texts to study for different days of the week. While the book of Habakkuk is a short one with only 3 chapters, I found it very good to divide the study into 8 weeks and really go deeper in the study and devotionals.

Embracing Joy: An 8 week Transformational Bible Study of Habakkuk

Jean Wilund shows us how to apply the truths we learn from Scripture to our lives by using a transformational Bible Study Method through Habakkuk in 3 simple steps:

1. Intent-We'll guard against wrong assumptions by considering the author's intent to his original audience.
2. Truth- We'll seek to pull out the truths god placed into each verse and what they reveal about the unchanging and unchangeable character, nature, and ways of God and that of anyone or anything else in the passage.
3. Transformation-We'll respond to the truths god reveals in His Word in a way that transforms our hearts and minds.

This study of the Old Testament book of Habakkuk is broken down into weekly sections of daily readings. You will read through the book of Habakkuk, where you will see the unchanging nature of our eternal God. This book will help you to look through the right lens to properly interpret the world, our lives, and the Bible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this study through Habakkuk, each of us face our own trials and sometimes it is difficult to see or understand why God is allowing them. Through His word we can learn to trust God, and rejoice knowing that although we are short sighted our God is not. He has a purpose, and His purpose is always good and right.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

As far as a book study, I’ve never studied Habakkuk and it was a delight to be able to dive into finding the joy through the hardships. We all face hard, we all face trials, and leaning into the heart of being contented in all things in Christ is foundational. Highly recommend if you’re doing a small group study to connect with others and seeing you’re not alone. It was also a delight in a study on my own, however; think it would be worth it to get a few people together to truck through it together.

An excellent 8 week bible study. I enjoyed studying the three chapter book of Habbakuk so in depth. I will purchase this in paper form for my personal use once it's released. Thank you for the ARC