Knowing the Heart of God: Where Obedience Is the One Path to Drawing Intuitively Close to Our Father

by George MacDonald, Michael Phillips (Editor)

The words and wisdom of George MacDonald, one of the nineteenth-century's greatest thinkers, are now available in modern paperback editions. Discovering the Character of God and Knowing the Heart of God have been carefully put together by editor Michael Phillips. Combining thematically relevant portions of poetry, sermons, and fiction, each title will help lead serious readers into deeper regions of faith in God.



Knowing the Heart of God presents MacDonald's philosophy for discovering life's great truths. He insisted this could be done in a simple two-step process by first realizing who God is, and then obeying him. MacDonald trumpets obedience as the door in knowing God intimately. A challenging work, Knowing the Heart of God ultimately brings readers to the very feet of a loving father who wants to be known by his faithful.

Genres: Christianity, Christian, Nonfiction, Theology, Faith

358 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He became a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow-writer Lewis Carroll. In addition to his fairy tales, MacDonald wrote several works of Christian theology, including several collections of sermons.

Reviews

[Joellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have journeyed with George MacDonald now (through this book) over the course of the past six months.

I don’t know what to make of some of his doctrines, but I do know this- his words have given my faith wings.

I have known no other author who can deeply convict me in one breath but greatly comfort me in the next. He has helped me more than any other author (at least in one book) to order my inner life and follow in obedience with every step that I take. A book that changes the way you live and look at life gains a 5 star rating in my humble opinion.

[Sharon Weinschreider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I made my way slowly through this book for the past four months. The central idea is that the more we know God, the more we will love Him, but to know Him we must obey Him. God gives us light to understand Him as we obey the light of knowledge we already have.

It's a convicting book with a central theme but it gets repetitive. I think I will read it again at some point but reading only one essay per week instead of trying to read it daily.

[Sheila Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have notice that this author puts heart and soul into this book. I have just read the back of it and than I just wanted to read it more and more so I checked it out from the library and read it. It was a really nice book to read it's just like the cover says knowing the heart of god. The author looks into the god that everyone knows. He loves everyone no matter what you do.

[Nick Woodall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of various works by George MacDonald. I wanted to read it to see what MacDonald's style was like. He is deep and at times I had to re-read something to understand it. He was also very prolific in his writing. He also wrote poetry as well as prose. This book will tell you whether you want to read more of MacDonald.

[Chrystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Phooey, I borrowed this from Hoopla and before I could finish it, they took it out of circulation. I enjoy all of these collections and use them as daily devotionals. Each topical section includes portions of sermons, novels, and poems by the master writer/preacher.

[Lady Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about George MacDonald's writings, as presented in Knowing the Heart of God, causing me to throw in the towel before I finished. On one hand, his essays seek to strip away elements of his culture's religious system--19th-century Scottish Presbyterianism--he found to be deterrents to genuinely knowing God. When his comments addressed systemic and cultural issues, drawing the reader back to the basics of personally seeking God in His Word, prayer and obedience, I found them to be a breath of fresh air. When he openly rejects core, Christian points of doctrine, such as the necessity of the Atonement, and exalts personal interpretation of Scripture--namely his own--above all other systematic theology, I have to part company with him. Selections from MacDonald's short stories and poetry reinforce the point of each essay, like propaganda, making them difficult to enjoy if you disagree with the point MacDonald was making.

[Mdbeltrano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy MacDonald's writing, especially his fiction, but I don't always agree with all of his theology.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A TRUE GEM!

Knowing the Heart of God and Discovering the Character of God are two books that have had the biggest influence on my life in Christ. I read them in my teens, and again in my twenties. It has been about another twenty years of living the truths and knowing Father, as introduced by these writings of George MacDonald all those years ago. I remember how delighted I was the first time I read these books, and the years and growth have only made them sweeter and clearer. Understanding only comes by obedience…

[Wendy Clay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it's half read. I really liked the points he was making and the lessons brought out, but reading his prose was quite a slog, and I could not readily identify with his poetry even though I could with the idea he was presenting. CS Lewis thought highly of him, and that is why I started this book. Just didn't resonate with me the same way Lewis does.