I may not have agreed with all of the theology in this book (some of chapter two and bits about recieving the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues etc. comes to mind)but despite that, this is a book that I feel every Christian ought to read. In it Merlin Carothers urges us to praise God in EVERYTHING, including every trial. At the end of this book, the Lord had really used it to convict me a lot about my complaining and grumbling attitude when it comes to trials. Praying that if you ever have a chance to read this book, you will and it will help you in your walk with the Lord as much as it helped me!
Quotes I loved from it:
"Our understanding gets us into trouble when we try to figure out why and how God brings certain circumstances into our lives. We can never understand why and how God does something, but He wants us to accept with our understanding that He does it. This is the basis for our praise. God wants us to understand that He loves us and that He has a plan for us." (p.3).
"Praise is based on a total and joyful acceptance of the present as part of God's loving, perfect will for us. Praise is not based on what we think or hope will happen in the future...We praise God, not for what we expect will happen in or around us, but we praise Him for what He is and where and how we are right now!" (p.6).
"Have you ever stepped outside your door on a beautiful, clear, sunny day, taken a deep breath of fresh air, and thanked God for His wonderful creation? But what if the next morning is gray and rainy? Does it automatically make you feel a little depressed as you look out the window? Maybe you odn't say it out loud, but how do you feel? Are you in the habit of thanking God only for what you want? And are you in the habit of grumbling just a little when things don't go the way you like?...Grumbling is the very opposite of thanksgiving; a complaint is the opposite of trust...By complaining and grumbling you are actually accusing God of mismanaging the details of you day." (pp.99-100)
"Joy is certianly something we are meant to feel...But joy does not depend on feeling. We are not to rejoice because we feel joyful, rather we can expect to eventually feel joyful as a result of our rejoicing."(p.125).
"God permits every circumstance of our life for a good reason. Through it, He intends to bring about His perfect and loving plan for us. God permitted that lady to be born without a hand because He loves her. God permitted Satan to harass Job because He loved Job. God permitted Christ to hang on the cross because He loved His Son, and He loved us. God allowed the darkness and evil forces of this world to gain an apparent victory - apparent to our senses - yet all the while God's perfect plan for the salvation of the world was being worked out." (p.136).