She wants faith, hope, and love. She wants help and healing. She wants to hear and be heard, to see and be seen. She wants things set right.
She wants to know what is true—not partly true, or sometimes true, or almost true. She wants to see Truth itself, face-to-face. But here, now, these things are all cloudy. Hope is tinged with hurt. Faith is shaded by doubt. Lesser, broken things masquerade as love.
How does she find something permanent when the world around her is always changing, when not even she can stay the same? And if she finds it, how does she hold on?
She Reads Truth tells the stories of two women who discovered, through very different lives and circumstances, that only God and His Word remain unchanged as the world around them shifted and slipped away. Infused with biblical application and Scripture, this book is not just about two characters in two stories, but about one Hero and one Story. Every image points to the bigger picture—that God and His Word are true. Not because of anything we do, but because of who He is. Not once, not occasionally, but right now and all the time.
Sometimes it takes everything moving to notice the thing that doesn’t move. Sometimes it takes telling two very different stories to notice how the Truth was exactly the same in both of them.
For anyone searching for a solid foundation to cling to, She Reads Truth is a rich and honest Bible-filled journey to finally find permanent in a world that’s passing away.
Raechel Myers is always on the lookout for beauty, goodness, and truth in everyday life. Co-founder and CEO of She Reads Truth, Raechel has a bachelor’s degree in housing and environmental design, and is not afraid to paint a whole house over a long weekend. She longs to cook artisanal meals, but loves Chinese takeout. She lives south of Nashville, Tennessee, with her three favorite people.
I've long been a fan of She Reads Truth-- their app, their reading plans, their Advent and Lent books, their beautifully designed social media graphics... all incredible. I preordered this one and was so excited to read it. It's full of great stories from both Amanda and Raechel (who take turns with chapters) and there's so much Scripture woven throughout the book in a really intentional and thoughtful way, but I was a little lost on the main theme or focus of the book. I guess if I had to say what it's about, it would be about two women's lives of faith and how Scripture played into it all, but there wasn't a super strong takeaway for me. I kept wishing for their to be a strong message, but I guess in hindsight, the message is really just about how relevant and meaningful and powerful the Bible is in our lives... so maybe that is enough. If you're a SRT fan or someone less familiar with Scripture, I would definitely recommend picking this one up!
- This book is not a directive to make your life better by reading your Bible every day. This book is evidence that He gives life to dead things through the power of His Word. Not once, not occasionally, but currently and all the time.
- We don’t hold tight because we’ve figured this out. We hold tight because He holds us.
- God's Word: When we turn its pages and take in its Truth, the very breath of God fills our lungs, our heart, our mind, our soul. Whether we come to Him doubting, praising, weeping, laughing, His Word is for us and it is true. In this ever-fading world, God’s Word never fades. We can approach it in any condition, under any circumstance, and IT IS STILL TRUE. When our will is weak, God’s Word is true. When our faith is fragile, God’s Word is true. When our hearts are heavy, God’s Word is true. When we wonder if we even believe it, God’s Word is true. The gospel is permanent, even when our belief buckles under the world’s weight. The gospel is the reason we can take Paul seriously when he writes, “Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything” (1 Thess. 5:16–18).
- Remember whose you are.
- I am the woman at the well, taken aback that this man would dare to be seen with me. I am Zaccheus, standing at a distance and hoping to catch a glimpse of the Messiah. I am Peter, promising I would never deny Him and then turning around to do exactly that. I am Peter, weeping when I meet Jesus’ eyes and realize that I have failed and failed big, again. I am Martha, running around trying to guarantee my worth and everyone else’s happiness. I am Mary, collapsing at His feet because I am so desperate for His presence. I am the adulterous woman, standing guilty for all the world to see. I am the bleeding woman, utterly incapable of healing what ails me. I am a mess, in process, just like all of them. Looking through its pages, I see pieces of me all through God’s Book. In God’s Word I’m reminded that I don’t secure my standing before Him by any guarantees I make, or even those I manage to keep. I am secure because He holds me in the safety of His covenant, the same covenant He has kept for generations past and will keep for generations to come.
- “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33) Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. (Isa. 40:28) I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the L ord in the land of the living. (Ps. 27:13 niv ) “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20) The promises themselves were true, and we held on tight. But their immutability was inseparable from the Promiser. These rocks of promise are part of the steadfast mountain of God’s covenant. His Word is true because He Himself is true (Heb. 13:8).
- The things we cling to can be good and true, but only because they are part of something much greater and truer than the world can offer: the immovable mountain of God’s eternal Truth.
- Life changes in an instant. But even when that change is unwelcome, we can give thanks because God is good.
- There is truth (our present circumstance), and there is truer Truth (the history of God’s unwavering, faithful, covenant relationship with His people). Call it the “grand scheme of things” if you like, but I believe we make a big mistake when we trust God based only on what He’s done for us today, or even in our own lifetime.
- Instead of keeping His distance, the Son of God did the opposite: He fully entered in. Jesus attended weddings and cooked breakfast. He started conversations with strangers and fed hungry crowds. He embraced lepers and healed the hurting. He took notice of widows and sat orphans on His knee. He wept with His friends and He loved His mama. Jesus knew precisely what would and wouldn’t last, and He chose to be all here. He chose to be fully present, out of obedience to His Father and love for His people. As followers of Christ, we are called to do the same. The knowledge that this world is temporary, and the affirmation that only God and His Word are eternal, is not a license to give up on life as we know it. It is not our permission slip to care only about the everlasting life while harboring indifference toward this passing one. No, this knowledge is both an invitation and a mandate to dig in deeper—to live our earthly lives in earnest, in light of eternity. God’s Truth gives our temporary lives eternal significance. It speaks forgiveness over our sin, hope over our despair, worth over our shame, and life over our death. In its light, everything matters. And at the same time, nothing else matters.
- Salvation because we’re walking the line is gospel-adjacent. Salvation because we cannot do what Christ has done is gospel. Peace because we’ve stripped back our busyness, simplified our schedules, and picked our yeses and nos carefully is truth-adjacent. Peace because God’s Word is an anchor for our souls no matter how simple or messy our lives look is Truth. This. THIS is why we read Truth.
- It is God’s exquisite mercy that asks us to drink the cup of suffering. As we drink, with only our present circumstances in view, God is right there, faithful and at work, with all of eternity in view. Allowing us to be pressed, but protecting us from being crushed. Permitting persecution, but never abandoning. Striking us down, but not destroying us (2 Cor. 4:8–9).
- Our cup may be filled with something completely different tomorrow than it is today. Much to our chagrin, God is not bound by our planners. And so tonight, before we close our eyes, we pray and scribble across the pages of our agendas: Not my will, but Yours. When we rise, we give thanks for whatever we find in our cup. We call it mercy—exquisite mercy. And because we read Truth, we know: Nothing can separate us from Christ (Rom. 8:38–39). Even if we pass through the fire, we will not be burned (Isa. 43:2). The waves will not overcome us (Isa. 43:2). And we know His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
- The good news of the gospel is that our internal paradox of faith and faithlessness does not disqualify or dismiss us from the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
- The body of Christ, His Church, is one of the most tangible evidences here on this temporary earth of the permanence of the gospel. She gathers her people for worship and prayer, for confession and edification. She invites them to the table to remember the sacrificial death of Jesus, to give thanks for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Throughout space and time, from the first disciples to now, the Church has stood like a neon arrow pointing to the gospel by which it exists. We are the marquee, too, in a way. We don’t just see the arrow on Sundays when we stand and sing the call to worship or sit and listen to the sermon. We see it in the Church’s people who sit with us for hours in the waiting room, who ask “How are you?” then hold your gaze until you answer,
- He made it my job to know Him, not just know about Him. Behind the scenes of this ministry He was growing, the only viable option was to chase after Him with all my might, holding out His Word to women as I ran. Then wake up the next day and do it again. It became my job to trust. It became my job to believe. It became my job—and it still is—to marvel at the depth and breadth of His goodness, to see up close the way He has provided, and to praise Him as He continues to provide. There are no words for how grateful I am. (As He has done in my ministry with students)
- We don’t have to fret if our feelings of faith seem weaker today than they did yesterday, or worry what will happen when our circumstances challenge our beliefs tomorrow in ways we can’t anticipate today. God has written the whole of our stories, start to finish, and what He has written into them—including the faith He gives us through Christ—no one can erase. When you are in Christ, dear friend, faith is woven into the fabric of your story. Not even death can unravel it.
- Because the days of every person are numbered, we cannot hang our eternal hope on any human. But because the soul of every person is permanent, we cannot dismiss any human. Breath is temporary but life is valuable. Years are limited, but each life has an eternal weight to it. We can hope for people, but we cannot hope in people.
- In his time as a minister, Spurgeon often wrote about the timelessness of God. He encouraged his congregation then, and us now, not to permit our hearts to cherish as ultimate, things that are passing away. Instead, we can find our satisfaction in Christ alone: It is well there is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life. O my soul, set not thine affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treasures, but set thine heart upon Him who abides forever faithful to thee. Build not thine house upon the moving quicksands of a deceitful world, but found thy hopes upon this rock, which, amid descending rain and roaring floods, shall stand immovably secure. My soul, I charge thee, lay up thy treasure in the only secure cabinet; store thy jewels where thou canst never lose them. Put thine all in Christ; set all thine affections on His person, all thy Hope in His merit, all thy trust in His efficacious blood, all they joy in His presence.
- Picture yourself, struggling to juggle both burgeoning baskets. You’re afraid to set down any of the good stuff, unsure how to hand over the rest. Some might suggest you hand both baskets to God, then stand alone, finally relieved of your burdens and missing your good things. I am not suggesting that. The gospel is so much better than that. I do want you to place that basket of burdens in God’s infinite, caring, gentle hands. It may take time, you may have to do it one item at a time, but with each transfer your relief becomes more evident and God proves Himself unwaveringly faithful.
- By holding tight to the Permanent Thing, you are trusting Him to hold on to all of the rest. And being held by Him, and holding Him tightest, you are trusting Him with your very life, and all of the blessings and burdens that come with it. You aren’t holding them together—you are holding tight to Him alone, asking Him to carry the rest. You are finally holding tight to Permanent in a world that’s passing away.
The authors of this book have good intentions but they don't do the best job getting them across. I almost gave up reading it a couple of times but there was always something that drew me back in. I finished it but don't feel like I really learn or accomplished anything which is what I really feel the goal should be for this genre.
She reads truth goes through Rachel and Amanda‘s lives their downfalls and treatments their highs and lows their journey to who they are today and how the Bible has affected them, change them, help them build up she reads truth and have it be what it is today. I always like getting deeper into peoples lives especially when I feel like I’m learning something from them I like to know that they are real people with real struggles and what they’re saying isn’t fictionalized and just saying it to make a profit but that their truth and their belief in God in the Bible and what they are saying is really true so I just really liked digging deeper into their lives because of that and because I follow she reads truth and do their plans
I have been following She Reads Truth women’s ministry for years now, and loved getting to learn more about the co-founders (Rachael and Amanda) through their book! They are two women of God that are not afraid to share His TRUTHS. They don’t play into the falsehood of prosperity gospel and are so vulnerable in sharing their walks with the Lord. All of the glory is given to our steadfast Lord through their stories. Overall it is a quick and easy read, and if you know anything about their ministry I would highly recommend!
Absolutely obsessed with this book! A very practical layout for a girl trying to get the most out of reading the Bible. I truly believe that this book has drawn me closer to my Lord and that it will continually become a routine in my daily life. Honestly, sanctification is the most that I can ask for out of a book and this book certainly hit the mark:) I would recommend this book to any woman no matter how far along their walk with the Lord is!
i found this book at ollie’s for like $3 and it was so good! i’ve used a “she reads truth” bible for almost 4 years now and love it. the stories in here were all really real and raw and wasn’t fake in the slightest. they discussed really hard times in their lives and didn’t just slap a “pray about it” saying on it, but went into depth about the struggles of wading through it and how God was with them during those times. highly recommend!!
A quick listen on audio that I related to in so many ways. I appreciated their vulnerability and it got me dedicated to reading truth heading into the new year ❤️
Sorry, but this book just didn't do it for me. I felt like I 'got it' in the first chapter and then it was just overly repetitive. I know a number of women who have read it and really enjoyed the book, but it was a struggle for me.
She Reads Truth is one of my favorite ministries, and I loved hearing more from the founders about the role that Scripture plays in believers’ lives through narratives and applications from their own. The audiobook was read by Raechel and Amanda themselves, so I highly recommend that. Overall, it served as a great reminder to me of the eternal truths of God’s Word and its deep & daily significance.
I have marked so many pages in this book. I appreciated the raw stories both women shared from their lives and how they used truths from Scripture to help them make sense of their lives and draw strength from their Creator.
I’ll admit a few things going into this review: 1) I love the She Reads Truth community and have for the past two(ish) years. I found it at a time that was a tipping point for me and it has been my faithful friend through it all; and 2) I had read some reviews here before starting (I try not to because I want my own perspective to not be colored by other opinions).
For many that said they didn’t understand the “point” of the book - I looked at it much more of a collection of essays. Stories that were about women, about life, about how hard it can be, but through it all, the overwhelming and immense love of God sustains us. So for me, I didn’t feel like it needed a “point”. I read one chapter a day - more or less - and felt like that was the perfect pace for this book.
With all that said, I loved this book. I rarely give 5 stars, but it was beautiful and gave me a fresh perspective into these amazing ladies that I spend every Monday morning during my commute to work with.
Highly recommend. I’m passing it to my daughter now and hope God speaks to her through it. 🙏❤️🙏
I began reading at the perfect time, in the midst of wild life changes and big decisions. Every time I wasn’t reading, I was thinking of this book. I’ll always associate it with this season.
I was pleasantly surprised by the vulnerability and depth of this book. I have done a few of their beautiful study books and after reading this book, I'm an even bigger fan of She Reads Truth.
An encouraging read that interweaves two women’s stories — Raechel & Amanda, the founders of She Reads Truth ministry — and points readers to promises from God’s Word
I decided to read this book because I just recently discovered the She Reads Truth app for my iPad and have begun the plan for reading through the Bible in a year. I wanted to know about the women behind the app.
I found it a little hard to get into the book. I wasn't sure if I was going to like these two young women who were opening their lives to me, sharing their shortcomings and struggles, and at the same time lecturing me on what is permanent and worth pursuing and what is not. However, they soon drew me in with their openness, honesty, and obvious love and deep respect for God's Word. Their lives are a witness to the fact that in this world of ups and downs, uncertainty, and frankly really bad things, God and His Word are always there, always good, and will always lift you from your hurt, anxiety, despair, or whatever it is you need lifting up from. The stories of their lives illustrate the permanence of God and His Word in a world that is passing away.
Although I have loved God's Word for a long time and always read it regularly, this book renewed a yearning inside to fill my mind and heart with His Word every day.
As I got into the book I found it hard to put it down, and by the end I was wishing it wouldn't end. I have a new passion for God and His Word and have discovered two new sisters in Christ who are lovers of Truth and those things that are permanent.
I'm eager to share this book (and the She Reads Truth app) with my best friend, my daughter and daughters in law. I recommend it for any Christian woman or anyone interested in knowing about God and the Bible.
She Reads Truth Book tells the story of Raechel and Amanda who discovered through very different lives and circumstances, that only God and His Word remain unchanged as the world around them shifted and slipped away. Their book is full of Biblical application and Scripture and is not just about two women but about one Hero and one Story. As you read Raechel and Amanda's stories in She Reads Truth Book, you will find yourself in the pages. You find your hardships, your situations, your struggles, your stories. You will find that you are she. In this ever changing world, we need to turn to the one thing that is never changing, God's Word. Raechel and Amanda encourage that. Not only in their book, but also in their 6 week Bible study with LifeWay and in their online ministry.
God’s promises are permanent when the world’s promises pass away. God’s covenant is permanent when our good intentions pass away. God’s love is permanent when our good behavior passes away. God’s mercy is permanent when our bodies pass away. God’s hope is permanent when our plans are passing away. God’s sovereignty is permanent when our power is passing away. The gospel is permanent when our belief is passing away. The permanent is there for you. Whatever this temporary life has looked like, and whatever signs are waiting on the road ahead, God and His Truth will always be true. You cannot change the Truth. You cannot earn it or lose it or escape it. But you can hold on to it, knowing that it holds you.
I was not familiar with this ministry and I'm still not. I wish the authors had included some background on its history. They offer some nice insights but it's not a book I would recommend to those serious about growing in faith. It was a little confusing at times to remember who was speaking. I appreciated the personal stories about their lives but the writing did not flow well. I also found the cover unattractive. There was nothing about that was feminine or appealing. Perhaps future materials from the writers could include better artwork.
This book was encouraging and inspiring. I love how the authors share their personal stories and struggles while at the same time always pointing us back to God and His word.
This was a quick, easy read that I enjoyed. I didn't necessary think it was challenging or pushing me to growth. It was a great reminder and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a vulnerable story that will inspire!
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts
We are all reaching for something. Something that we can hold onto. Something that doesn't change. Something reliable. You can see it in every person, there is something missing in their life and they can't quite figure out what it is. There's only one thing that can fill that place in our lives, and it doesn’t change. It never has and it never will, that's a promise we can trust. Its truth himself. But, it's definitely not easy. While we know its power and the fullness that truth brings us, it can be so hard to trust. Amanda Bible Williams and Raechel Myers explore how this played out in their lives in their book She Reads Truth. They see truth woven into their stories and they ask, how can you hold onto truth? How does holding onto truth change the way you live? She Reads Truth is an online organization founded by Amanda and Rachel and their book She Reads Truth is about the story of how it came along. They talk through their childhoods, the good and the bad. Their marriages, children, houses, families, miscarriages, and friends. They have both struggled big time throughout their lives at different times and in different ways but there is one glaringly obvious similarity in their stories. Truth. They emphasize throughout the whole book that while their stories may look very different, there is one thing that they share at the very foundation of it all. This is a raw book, shockingly so. Every word comes straight from experience and a lot of it is ugly. It's amazing how honest and open these ladies were about everything they have gone through in their lives. You can tell that they are not hiding anything or trying to downplay their desperation or weakness but instead giving you the full, ugly reality. Not everything was easy for them and even after they had begun running an organization with the goal of making it simpler to be a “woman in the Word of God every day” they struggled to live that out in their own lives. They were brought to their knees by this world time and time again, nearing collapse. Amanda described it this way, “It is no secret that I’ve barely been hanging on. But fighting to keep your grip is what you do when you feel like you're falling, no matter if you're falling down or falling short- especially if you're both.” (Williams 164) Immediately after saying that, she turned to read truth. I really admired the humility displayed throughout the book. The authors are not looking for ways to make themselves known or to give glory to themselves, they are truly looking to love and encourage anyone and everyone. They know what struggle feels like and they want to share the truth that has been revealed to them. In Amanda’s words, “ Friends, our earnest prayer is that you set this book aside and hold tight to the only Book that will last. Truth stands, without us. It does not need our vote of confidence or our help. It certainly does not need our words or our carefully-crafted metaphors. Truth stands, and it will stand. Period.” (Williams 172). Another thing I loved about this book was the end of each chapter because it would have a page or two of scripture to wrap up the section along with scripture interspersed in almost every page. Throughout the book, I seemed like their stories were going one way, down a long and lonely road. In reality, they were traveling down a narrow path, with someone by their side every step of the way. When they fell, he was there. When they began to wander, he steered them back onto the path. The most shocking part about this all is that they didn't even notice him much of the time. They felt distant, but every time they turned in desperation to truth, he was there, being who he promises to be. Each chapter held a new hardship, a new challenge that breaks your heart for this broken, hopeless world. Every chapter containing the tears of hopeless creatures, but every chapter contains hopeful, loving, merciful truth. Woven into their stories both explicitly and not, truth was there every time. Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams have filled the pages of this book with wisdom. They have experienced truth and the gravity of it in our lives. There is so much to learn from this book, and from these women. There is such clarity to their thinking and such boldness in what they have to share. They know what desperation is and they have been brought through it over and over, and day by day we are being brought through it just like them. We have the same hope as them. I highly recommend this book to the doubter, the hopeless, the struggling, the broken, which is all of us. Take these women's advice, read truth and don't let anything in your life replace it. Cling to it. Truth is unchanging, truth is the Word of God. This book taught me so much, and I guarantee it will do the same for you.
I'm always a fan of Christian books that don't drop platitudes and prosperity gospel, but still preach God's goodness, so this book is a win to me.
Raechel and Amanda share their own stories, encountering God's goodness on each page. I really enjoyed it. One of the words I've been sitting with this year is: Permanence. On the cusp of another transition, I am clinging tightly to reality of God's goodness and presence as my permanent things, but I still needed this reminder. I ordered this book a few years back, but only got to reading it this year. Again, I'm reminded even in the small things that God's timing is perfect; this was just the right time to read this.
I will add a critique here. There is no cogent, cohesive story/message/thread throughout the book. Raechel and Amanda's stories relate to one another, but beyond that, each chapter seems like it could be its own vignette or blog post, connected to the rest of the chapters, but without a unifying arc.
Finally, as a She who has followed and read along with Raechel and Amanda for years with SRT, I extra enjoyed getting to see the backstory of these champions of Truth - helping women be Women in the Word of God everyday.
I've loved anything SRT has put out in the past and have been a devoted user of the app for years, so I was very excited to get the opportunity to read this book. Myers and Williams tell wonderful stories and I loved the intimacy they wrote with and how they associated the various life experiences with very encouraging Scripture passages. Although it was an easy read, I did find myself getting lost toward the end of the book. I didn't feel there was a major overlying theme to the book as a whole and each chapter had essentially the same message as the one previous. I don't know if I'm the only one who struggled with this, but it left me feeling a little disappointed. It was full of encouragement, so I enjoyed reading it.
*I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*
This book was not what I was expecting. I was hoping it was the story of how the She Reads Truth company came to be, but it was more a collection of lessons learned from the founders. It simply felt like reading super long devotionals, some of which I skimmed and still got the point without having to in-depth read them.
The lessons are heartfelt and filled with such truth and encouragement. It’s just not the book I was hoping it would be. It’s also 2 authors and that is very evident in their writing styles so I had to adjust to switching people every few chapters. It was an OK book overall, but consider it more like devotionals. It preaches God’s goodness and his all the glory is given to him, and that is the take away from the book. God is good, he uses our stories in the most unexpected ways and His truth is what we cling to.