Things Not Seen: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Trusting God's Promises

by Jon Bloom, Ann Voskamp (Foreword)

True faith is hard. More than mere sentimentalism, faith often calls for a deep and resilient trust in God—especially when the going gets tough and the road is dark. In Things Not Seen, author Jon Bloom encourages readers with 35 imaginative retellings of stories from the Bible that illustrate the importance of living by faith. A follow-up to the author’s previous book, Not by Sight: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Walking by Faith, this inspiring volume explores the lives of Abraham, Moses, Saul, John the Baptist, and more—helping readers remember God’s promises, rely on his grace, and follow his leading regardless of the circumstances. The book includes a foreword by popular author and blogger Ann Voskamp.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Religion

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2015

About the author

I serve as Author, Board Chair, and Co-founder at Desiring God and find it a great joy to help others believe and delight in Jesus Christ. I am deeply in love with my wife, Pam, adore my five children and most of the time feel affection for my naughty dog. We make our home in Minneapolis.

Reviews

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written on a very popular level, this book is nevertheless crammed with a number of insightful observations about the text of Scripture.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed and was helped by this book, but feel like it needs an *** - the style, taking scripture references and offering what the people might have been thinking/feeling - have to remember that they are just suggestions and not confuse them with facts the Bible actually gives.

[Annie Riggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strengthening reminder of the goodness in God’s promises, in the things that are always true.

[bex 🌱 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real good & helpful

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes, in your battle with unbelief, your greatest ally will wrestle you-he might even make you limp-until you’re desperate enough to say, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” It is a great mercy to be brought to the point where you’re desperate enough to insist on what you need the most.

It is the Things not seen that our faith begins to grow. With a compilation of 35 accounts from the word of God, the things not seen become things that cut to the heart and encourage the heart all at the same time. There is something for everyone here. Each account starts with a scripture and a conversation. Somewhat pragmatic in execution but the transcendence of God is displayed in glory. The Things not seen become the very thing that we need. The example of King Saul with his ear to the polls, he sought the approval of man and not God. His insecurity was pride and insecurity led to disobedience. In loving his reputation, he despised the things of God.

Things Not Seen from God’s Glory to God’s kingdom, we have a better understanding that works in our hearts to love God and to love others in truth and not out of selfish ambition.

Some of my favorite quotes are:

Your calling is not based on your credibility, but on mine. I don’t want Egypt or Israel impressed with you. I want them impressed with me.

The LOVE OF OUR own glory is the closest competitor with God in our hearts.

Samson believed God would be faithful to his word, but Samson didn’t believe he needed to be faithful to God’s word.

God to empower his gifting, but he did’nt trust God to satisfy his appetites. So disobeyed God and indulged in sin.

The point is that your perception of reality is distorted by self-centeredness.

It is not God’s bloodthirst and selfishness that is bringing the flood. It is his justice. It’s what our sin our sin deserves. Don’t you see? In his mercy he has been warning us over and over.

But the ark is a sign that he will not wait forever. And God isn’t sparing me because my nature is any better than yours. He’s sparing me because I trust him. I believe what he says. And this ark will shelter anyone who will trust him.

As you can see from these quotes, everything not seen is seen to lead us to Christ. Just like the Ark was the shelter to those that believed, Jesus is our shelter when we place our faith on what he did on the cross for our sins. Seeing our need and believing Jesus brings everything to focus to see the things that are not easily seen.

A Special Thank you to Crossway and Netgalley for ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this series of 35 sketches of Biblical characters to be so encouraging. Bloom explores matters of the heart by shining new light on some of the better known biblical stories. They are short with a brief introduction on the truth being explored followed by the vignette and each ends with a short commentary on the story and truth.

All of the stories and truths are topical and very relevant for us all. I so appreciated the story of Jonathan and David. Bloom depicts the beauty of their friendship and in particular Jonathan's humility in yielding his succession to the throne to David. Samson's story was another one that particularly touched me: "the gifts God gives us are about God's greatness not ours. They should keep us humble …"

It ends with a few pages of great encouragement. Our journey with Christ is a hard one and Bloom acknowledges this with a series of verses that he connects with a relevant angst that we all contend with most days. His parting words of "Don't give up" sum this magnificent work up so well.

I'm sure I'll be reading this again before too long and will be sharing it with others.

[Nicholas · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is quite a bit of fictional writing based on Biblical events in this book. I felt that there were a few too many liberties and assumptions made about Biblical events - the attitudes and reactions of some people that aren't specified in the Bible, for example. I would have preferred an all non-fictional writing style that gave commentary, rather than try to pull something out of the Bible that's not clearly there. There are a few good points made throughout the book, but I felt a bit uncomfortable with some of the assumptions made of Biblical events.

[Tim Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the idea behind this book of taking Biblical stories we have all heard and adding potential background information as well as commentary to them. Bloom does a fantastic job giving new light to these well known passages of scripture. One of my favorites was one of the last chapters discussing Judas being the money keeper for Jesus’ ministry. I had never put two and two together with Judas being a thief, yet being given the responsibility of the money keeper. I definitely recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand the Bible better.

[NinaB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dramatized interpretation of biblical narratives that teach important lessons about God’s character and work. I’m not a fan of this sub-genre, which I would call dramatized truth, but I see how his form of writing can appeal to others. It does bring the characters to life and may provide important context to make the Bible stories and their lessons easier to understand.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book was good, but for me, the author spent too much time on what if scenarios and not what the passages actually say( which are full of truth ) You don’t have to make up stories to show the fullness of God’s promises. New looks are not always better .

[Blake Western · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author takes many Bible accounts and amplifies them through creative story telling. Then, he draws out the central teaching of the story. The book is well written. It will appeal to many people with the brief stories and pointed teachings.

[Matthew Prydden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its not always easy to see what God is doing behind the scenes of events both large and small. This excellent book from Job Bloom seeks to take a peek behind the scenes of many of God's workings as recorded in the Bible, and manages to do so in an extremely encouraging way.

[Jaymee Pilarta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Above all, remember Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:8). Jesus knows your works (Rev. 2:2) and He understands your war (Heb. 12:3). His grace will be given to you in your time of need (Heb. 4:16), and it will be sufficient for you, even at the very worst of times (2 Cor. 12:9).

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 — one of the first books that helped me imagine the Christian stories and breath fresh life into them. Whenever scripture feels stale, books like this remind me a fresh that these are embodied stories of real people w historíes.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chapters address a different biblical figure in each chapter, 3-4 pages long, and teach biblical truths and encouragement.

[Lester Delgado · Rating 4 out of 5]

muy bueno. Respeta las historias de la biblia aún cuando pone algo de ficción en los diálogos que ha escrito. No es ofensivo.

[Eddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent study of familiar stories. Jon brings them to life, uncovering simple but profound truths. He has a different approach and I found it thoroughly rewarding reading each day.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short chapters, well structured, deep thought, I enjoy reading this book.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and encouraging. I want to give this a second read so I can spend more time with it.

[Gary Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally Awesome. This is what our faith should look like!

[Richard Gichuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the simple lessons from each of the stories!

[Erica Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fave.

[Kaitlyn Carmichael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging and gave me a fresh perspective on old stories. Reading this book is kinda like watching The Chosen

[Daniel Soukup · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just as good as its prequel as great "food for faith." Jon Bloom brings a fresh perspective on Biblical characters and stories while not wandering far from the text of scripture. The short chapters are manageable in size and the book lends itself to easy use as a devotional.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is breath of fresh air to me. Each story in this book seems like it was personalized just for me. The problem is I don’t always see these same stories, in the Word of God, like that. My Father in Heaven put every single story, every single word in the Bible for each of us and I forget that all the time.

The Word of God is alive and active. It can and will minister to each of us wherever we are at in our lives.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Things Not Seen, Jon takes stories from the Bible and fills in what might have been going on. But this book is more than just biblical stories fleshed out. Jon finds the underlying message or principle and draws that out so we can apply that message to our own lives. The insightful stories helped me understand some things better. Some dealt with really tough questions like “Was God wicked to destroy all the people on the earth except Noah?” While every story was thought provoking, encouraging, and challenging to me, I’m going to write about just one.

I’ve heard the story of Mary and Martha countless times. But this rendition helped me see why Martha was so distracted. The culture put a high value on hospitality and the most important person in the world was in her home along with about a hundred other people. It’s no wonder she was busy serving her guests. On the surface, it seemed that Martha just wanted to be a gracious hostess, but Jesus knew her serving “flowed from anxiety, not grace.” Jon writes, “This kind of anxiety is subtle. It has a selfish root but its fruit looks deceptively like unselfishness. This anxiety is the desire for approval dressed up to look like the desire to serve” (location 382). This hits pretty close to home. It’s so easy to invite people over and be more concerned with what they’ll think of me if my house isn’t clean. I should be focused on how to serve my guests and glorify God in my serving rather than glorifying myself. In contrast to Martha (and so many times, me), Mary got it right. She cared more about Jesus than about herself….and she was commended for it, while Martha missed out on what was truly important….listening and learning from Jesus.

I was deeply helped by this book. Each chapter was full of insight and grace and words of wisdom. I will be reading this book over and over again. As I read the stories, they came alive and I realized anew that these were people just like you and me. What was true for them is true for us as well. The chapter titles make it easy to pinpoint what you might want to read when you’re in a given situation. This would be a fabulous book for family or personal devotions. The stories are simple enough for young children yet the principles are deep enough for teens and adults to ponder. I would HIGHLY recommend it.

Thank you to Crossway for providing me with a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

Also by Jon Bloom: Not By Sight: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Walking By Faith

[Ivana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A seemingly light-weight book but in truth very rich and inspiring.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jon Bloom's Things Not Seen focuses on familiar stories from the bible and offers a fresh perspective on how God was working. Old Testament and New, this is proof of God's grace, love, and hope - His ability to change the agonizing circumstances into blessing.

Right from the 2-page Word to the Reader, I knew that if I took nothing else from the book, those few short paragraphs would be blessing enough: they are a reminder of hope. After naming multiple well-known figures of the bible who agonized over the circumstances, it says, "Now think of the blessing that each agony eventually produced." And each example DID lead to blessing, even--and especially--Jesus dying on the cross. Whatever we may suffer, however much we may hurt, there is HOPE.

If you have a problem with any sort of variation on scripture other than the traditional approved translations, then this book may not be for you. It takes a well-known bible story and makes a key section--maybe one that we aren't privy to, but likely happened in the background--into a story rather than straight bible verses. It encourages us to see the story differently, a different angle of how God was working in these people. For example, in the story of Joseph, it elaborates on the scene where the eleven sons return from Egypt and tell Jacob that Joseph is alive, confessing their role in how he ended up there. In this story-like version, the emotions of those involved are clear, and God's role in changing hearts is emphasized.

However, if you are growing bored with the bible or needing a fresh perspective, then this book would be a good choice to read in tandem with the bible. The chapters are short, only a few pages, and would work well in a bible study or as a devotional. It encourages the reader to look deeper than the surface events and really dig in to God's hand at work.

Thank you Crossway and NetGalley for providing an e-book for review; I was not required to make the review positive, and all opinions are my own.

[Randall Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Bloom has written a beautiful, faith-encouraging exploration of the many ways God accomplishes His perfect purposes in “things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). While varying his style and employing creative vignettes through thirty-five pithy, pregnant chapters, the common denominator uniting this wonderful work is the scripturally grounded examples developed through Bloom’s skillful exposition.

Ann Voskamp’s forward gives a taste of what follows: “When the heart and mind focus on things unseen, that's when there's a visible change in us. The outward and visible only become like Christ to the extent we focus on the unseen and invisible person of Christ” Quoting Thomas Carlyle, she highlights for us that “It is the unseen and the spiritual in people, that determines the outward and the actual.”

The chapters are short enough to read quickly, yet they have sufficient depth to form the basis of further study; and they interrelate and tie together under the overarching theme of the certainty and reliability of God’s promises, particularly in the many difficulties and hardships His people face in the world.

To conclude, I share a few quotes from Bloom’s forward to whet your appetite: “Hebrews 11 is in the Bible to remind us that God hides his most precious treasures for his saints in their most difficult and painful experiences...it reminds us that God is doing far more than we can see in our agonies...to encourage us to trust God’s promises more than our perceptions...Promises will hold us up when perceptions make us sink.”

I give this book my highest recommendation for your encouragement in drawing closer to our great God!

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was searching for a book that will lift my sorrows to sing. And this was what the back of the book said "God is doing far more than we can see in our pain"
This is one of the most comforting bible retellings that include sound doctrine without pushing it. The stories are enagaging that it makes you laugh, cry and rejoice. Highly recommended for a contemporary read, especially in such times.