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A Small Book
A Small Book for the Anxious Heart: Meditations on Fear, Worry, and Trust
Fear and anxiety are chronic struggles for many people that are only intensifying and increasing. Best-selling author Edward T. Welch shares the comfort and peace of Jesus in fifty brief readings for those who wrestle with fear. A Small Book for the Anxious Heart is a small but powerful devotional to remind men and women of the encouraging, beautiful words in Scripture to anxious people. While many books on fear and anxiety exist—promising to help men and women manage their struggles with methods and formulas—this devotional reaches deeper into Scripture, making the Word of God more accessible. Don’t put a Band-Aid on your fear and anxiety; rather, learn to bring your fear to Jesus, relying on his Word. Welch has been counseling for over thirty-eight years and is the author of more than a dozen books, including A Small Book about a Big Problem , Running Fear, Worry and the God of Rest , Shame Interrupted , When People Are Big and God Is Small , and many others. Jesus cares for us, and in these readings, Welch invites readers to trust him for today, knowing he goes before us always.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2019
About the author
Edward T. Welch
102 books495 followersEdward T. Welch, M.Div., Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He has counseled for thirty years and is the best-selling author of many books including When People Are Big and God Is Small; Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave; Blame It on the Brain?; Depression: A Stubborn Darkness; Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Addiction; Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest; and When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety. He and his wife Sheri have two daughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
November 17, 2019
I have very mixed feelings about this book. As I read through it, I was disappointed in the depth of the first part. It seemed shallow. As I read on, the book did get deeper but I ended up with mixed feelings about it. Welch finally coupled fear and faith on Day 16. That just seemed way too far into the book for me. He got to the importance of prayer on Day 20. Again, way too far into the book for me. He cemented fear and faith in Day 40. Finally.
Welch must be writing for very new Christians or ones not familiar with the Bible. He has a meditation on confession, for example, that seems to be for those who don't know we are commanded to confess our sins nor know the benefits of doing so.
I am a little concerned about the accuracy of the writing. For example, Welch writes, “Anything of values comes through perseverance.” (Loc 195/1710) (Italics in the original.) My goodness. What about grace, mercy, the free gift of salvation? Welch is encouraging, but should also be correct! He updates Psalm 23 “in a way David would certainly have approved.” (Loc 237/1710) Welch knows what David would think about the update? And how about this? “For now, know that there are good reasons to worry.” (Loc 340/1710) I thought for sure Jesus told us not to worry, that there were no good reasons to worry for our heavenly Father takes care of us. (Matt.6:25ff)
Welch writes often from a human viewpoint. For example, fears and anxiety are not necessarily sinful nor a result of sin, he writes. “Fears and anxieties reveal that you are a finite human who can control very little.” (Loc 506/1710) I would rather he said fears and anxieties indicate you do not believe God cares for you nor that God is sovereign. I found it interesting Welch again mentioned fears are not necessarily a result of sin but then has a meditation on the relationship of fears and hidden sin. (Loc 659/1710, 1044/1710) In that later meditation, he directly relates anxiety to hiding sin. (Loc 1044/1710)
Welch is very compassionate in his writing, almost to the point of glossing over sin. We have plans and dreams, he writes, but we might “forget” that “[the] Father is in control.” (Loc 677/1710) He then encourages us to trust the Father and rest in Him.
I was a little shocked at Welch's experience with prayer. He writes that he has spent 30 years on shortening the time between the appearance of anxiety and the onset of prayer, generally getting it down to an hour. (Loc 717/1710) When he prays, the peace of Christ does begin to rule in his heart and mind but it “still takes him by surprise.” (Loc 717/1710) That just made me shake my head. Later he writes about prayer, “confessing my own weaknesses...still feels unnatural.” (Loc 738/1710) This, even though later he writes of the necessity of being transparent before God. (Loc 1059/1710)
Perhaps Welch's book structure mirrors the work of dealing with anxiety. He starts off very slowly but eventually gets to ways of dealing with anxiety like confession, prayer, believing God is greater, living in the present, believing God will take care of needs, etc. But then, on Day 40, he writes, “In this world, getting rid of all your worries is not an option.” And, “The absence of all fear...awaits the age to come.” (Loc 1361/1710, 1388/1710) So I am not sure what the purpose of this book is. It puzzles me. Perhaps Welch wants readers to expect to always have fear and anxiety to battle and turn over to the Lord. I'd rather live in victory, truly believing God is sovereign and is working all things to my ultimate good. I can rest there with no fear nor anxiety.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
Welch must be writing for very new Christians or ones not familiar with the Bible. He has a meditation on confession, for example, that seems to be for those who don't know we are commanded to confess our sins nor know the benefits of doing so.
I am a little concerned about the accuracy of the writing. For example, Welch writes, “Anything of values comes through perseverance.” (Loc 195/1710) (Italics in the original.) My goodness. What about grace, mercy, the free gift of salvation? Welch is encouraging, but should also be correct! He updates Psalm 23 “in a way David would certainly have approved.” (Loc 237/1710) Welch knows what David would think about the update? And how about this? “For now, know that there are good reasons to worry.” (Loc 340/1710) I thought for sure Jesus told us not to worry, that there were no good reasons to worry for our heavenly Father takes care of us. (Matt.6:25ff)
Welch writes often from a human viewpoint. For example, fears and anxiety are not necessarily sinful nor a result of sin, he writes. “Fears and anxieties reveal that you are a finite human who can control very little.” (Loc 506/1710) I would rather he said fears and anxieties indicate you do not believe God cares for you nor that God is sovereign. I found it interesting Welch again mentioned fears are not necessarily a result of sin but then has a meditation on the relationship of fears and hidden sin. (Loc 659/1710, 1044/1710) In that later meditation, he directly relates anxiety to hiding sin. (Loc 1044/1710)
Welch is very compassionate in his writing, almost to the point of glossing over sin. We have plans and dreams, he writes, but we might “forget” that “[the] Father is in control.” (Loc 677/1710) He then encourages us to trust the Father and rest in Him.
I was a little shocked at Welch's experience with prayer. He writes that he has spent 30 years on shortening the time between the appearance of anxiety and the onset of prayer, generally getting it down to an hour. (Loc 717/1710) When he prays, the peace of Christ does begin to rule in his heart and mind but it “still takes him by surprise.” (Loc 717/1710) That just made me shake my head. Later he writes about prayer, “confessing my own weaknesses...still feels unnatural.” (Loc 738/1710) This, even though later he writes of the necessity of being transparent before God. (Loc 1059/1710)
Perhaps Welch's book structure mirrors the work of dealing with anxiety. He starts off very slowly but eventually gets to ways of dealing with anxiety like confession, prayer, believing God is greater, living in the present, believing God will take care of needs, etc. But then, on Day 40, he writes, “In this world, getting rid of all your worries is not an option.” And, “The absence of all fear...awaits the age to come.” (Loc 1361/1710, 1388/1710) So I am not sure what the purpose of this book is. It puzzles me. Perhaps Welch wants readers to expect to always have fear and anxiety to battle and turn over to the Lord. I'd rather live in victory, truly believing God is sovereign and is working all things to my ultimate good. I can rest there with no fear nor anxiety.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
March 11, 2023
Wow, this little book is full of profound and meaningful hope for anxiety, regardless of its source. Highly recommend!
August 29, 2022
One of the very best books on anxiety that I have read. Ed Welch is fantastic at packing Scripture, encouragement, and very practical help into these little devotionals. It’s a great read especially for those of us who might not always have a lot of time to read but really want to tackle their anxiety head on.
February 6, 2020
This book is intended to be read as a daily devotional, but I read it straight through and still received wisdom and insight from it. It could be argued that this book is the antithesis of the Christian cliche, “Let Go, and Let God.” Welch does not seek to minimize the sovereignty of God, but pushed those with an anxious heart to do. Throughout the book there are constant reminders of God’s love, care, provision, Lordship, and sovereignty. These reminders are meant to center the readers hearts on Jesus to increase trust in Him, and to reduce anxiety. The ultimate way to fighting anxiety from this book is by continually practicing the spiritual disciplines of prayer, confession, Scripture reading, and accountability to others. Welch argues that all of this combined with a humble heart that is willing to speak about the things that cause the individual anxiety will aid any believer in overcoming some of the crippling effects of an anxious heart.
September 22, 2026
I read Ed Welch’s Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest several years ago in the weeks leading up to a surgery, and it was a big help. So when I saw A Small Book for the Anxious Heart: Meditations on Fear, Worry and Trust by the same author, I got it, too.
As the title says, this is a small book, a little over 4×6 inches. It’s made up of fifty short meditations. So it’s not a full treatise on anxiety. Some people would not be able to take in a larger book, so this one has purposefully been broken down into bite-sized pieces.
Some of the meditations deal with anxiety and fear generally. Some discuss particular fears; others particular passages of Scripture. Each meditation ends with a couple of discussion questions.
You often hear that you can’t experience fear and faith at the same time. Welch disagrees. He says:
Welch says that dealing with anxieties is not a matter of trying different treatments to find one that works, but of learning skills to deal with them. Change takes time:
I believe Running Scared was a bigger help to me than this book, but then, it was meant to be a little more comprehensive than this one. This book did encourage me by reminding of truths I’d read before but also sharing some new thoughts.
My full review is here: https://barbaraleeharper.com/2026/09/...
As the title says, this is a small book, a little over 4×6 inches. It’s made up of fifty short meditations. So it’s not a full treatise on anxiety. Some people would not be able to take in a larger book, so this one has purposefully been broken down into bite-sized pieces.
Some of the meditations deal with anxiety and fear generally. Some discuss particular fears; others particular passages of Scripture. Each meditation ends with a couple of discussion questions.
You often hear that you can’t experience fear and faith at the same time. Welch disagrees. He says:
Faith in Jesus will not replace your fears. Instead your faith will coexist with your fears and begin to quiet them. You will learn, by faith, to see your life from Jesus’ perspective and to trust that he is your ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1) (p. 64).
Welch says that dealing with anxieties is not a matter of trying different treatments to find one that works, but of learning skills to deal with them. Change takes time:
A skill improves with practice, and some days you are better at it that others . . . It is not the disappearance of our anxieties that make us most fully human; it is that we call out to the Lord on good days and bad days. Change is measured by how we turn to Jesus in our fears. Fears and anxieties will come, so you can’t measure growth by whether they exist or not (pp. 94-95).
I believe Running Scared was a bigger help to me than this book, but then, it was meant to be a little more comprehensive than this one. This book did encourage me by reminding of truths I’d read before but also sharing some new thoughts.
My full review is here: https://barbaraleeharper.com/2026/09/...
June 30, 2026
This is a great morning (or evening) devo for people who don’t like devos. Short and succinct, but rich in theology. Welch doesn’t negate the reality of anxiety and fear. His advice isn’t only, “just pray about it.” He gives clinical wisdom while staying grounded in Scripture. Christ Jesus offers us rest and peace in the midst of our trials. He doesn’t promise a trouble-free life; rather, He promises the opposite. But we take great comfort in knowing He is with us in the valley of the shadow of death. I definitely recommend to everyone.
January 16, 2025
A helpful little devo book!
February 22, 2020
As I read this devotional, I didn't find new and amazing insights most days. What I found were reminders of what I already knew but need to remember every day. I think I expected something different, but found these daily reminders to be very helpful; sometimes I just don't remind myself of what I know and need someone or something else to do it. This book encouraged me to carry on, to keep going, to do what I knew I had to or ought to do, even when it's difficult.
June 18, 2026
This is the first Ed Welch book I've read and I found it written in a very compassionate and realistic way. You'll always have fear and trouble. Being a Christian does not keep these things from coming into your life. But it's power over you will lessen as you practice imagining a future with God in it, instead of a future without Him.
May 20, 2026
This little book contains 50 short readings that are like a balm to the anxious heart. It is filled with truth from the Scriptures that speaks to anxiety, worry, and fear. I will be coming back to this little book again and again.
March 24, 2023
I’m so thankful for Ed Welch and have been immensely helped by many of his other resources. This book just wasn’t very deep and didn’t do much of anything for me.
May 13, 2024
This a great devotional resource to address the heart issues of anxiety and insecurity.
December 16, 2021
Biblical and compassionate in easy to read short devotionals.
October 30, 2022
A great daily devotional for those struggling with Anxiety
January 23, 2020
If you struggle with anxiety, stress, or fear, this could be a helpful book to check out.
The book has fifty meditations, slightly devotional in nature. The book covers a variety of topics, such as: fear, loneliness, forgiveness, prayer, grace, hope, death, and more. Unlike a devotional, the readings don't begin with a Scripture verse, but relevant verses are included in the message. Each entry ends with a couple of questions for reflection or journaling. I read an ebook copy of the book, and it has a clickable Table of Contents, which makes it easy for the reader to choose the topics that interest them, in case they do not want to read the book in order or if it is used for a small group study. The book provided practical action steps to help the reader keep their anxiety in check.
It is written rather stilted, like you are preached at, not spoken to. It was a good book, but I wouldn't call it great.
I received a free copy. All opinions are my own. If you struggle with anxiety, stress, or fear, this could be a helpful book to check out.
The book has fifty meditations, slightly devotional in nature. The book covers a variety of topics, such as: fear, loneliness, forgiveness, prayer, grace, hope, death, and more. Unlike a devotional, the readings don't begin with a Scripture verse, but relevant verses are included in the message. Each entry ends with a couple of questions for reflection or journaling. I read an ebook copy of the book, and it has a clickable Table of Contents, which makes it easy for the reader to choose the topics that interest them, in case they do not want to read the book in order or if it is used for a small group study. The book provided practical action steps to help the reader keep their anxiety in check.
It is written rather stilted, like you are preached at, not spoken to. It was a good book, but I wouldn't call it great.
I received a free copy. All opinions are my own.
The book has fifty meditations, slightly devotional in nature. The book covers a variety of topics, such as: fear, loneliness, forgiveness, prayer, grace, hope, death, and more. Unlike a devotional, the readings don't begin with a Scripture verse, but relevant verses are included in the message. Each entry ends with a couple of questions for reflection or journaling. I read an ebook copy of the book, and it has a clickable Table of Contents, which makes it easy for the reader to choose the topics that interest them, in case they do not want to read the book in order or if it is used for a small group study. The book provided practical action steps to help the reader keep their anxiety in check.
It is written rather stilted, like you are preached at, not spoken to. It was a good book, but I wouldn't call it great.
I received a free copy. All opinions are my own. If you struggle with anxiety, stress, or fear, this could be a helpful book to check out.
The book has fifty meditations, slightly devotional in nature. The book covers a variety of topics, such as: fear, loneliness, forgiveness, prayer, grace, hope, death, and more. Unlike a devotional, the readings don't begin with a Scripture verse, but relevant verses are included in the message. Each entry ends with a couple of questions for reflection or journaling. I read an ebook copy of the book, and it has a clickable Table of Contents, which makes it easy for the reader to choose the topics that interest them, in case they do not want to read the book in order or if it is used for a small group study. The book provided practical action steps to help the reader keep their anxiety in check.
It is written rather stilted, like you are preached at, not spoken to. It was a good book, but I wouldn't call it great.
I received a free copy. All opinions are my own.
November 20, 2019
Perfection is not the answer. Perfection ultimately trusts in itself, and that compounds our fears. What we are after is the confidence that God always hears those who turn to him. (Psalm 51:17) Always.
This daily devotion opened the many different ways our hearts are anxious. The triggers and more importantly, what brings us peace. If you have a trust issue, you probably suffer from anxiety. If you have relationship problems, you probably suffer from fear. But in honestly, there are many things that cause us anxiety. However, there is only one thing that brings peace and that is facing your reality. Actually saying that aloud can cause anxiety but in facing our reality, we are directing our eyes, heart, soul, and mind to Jesus. Loving him with all that we are.
In knowing how we depend on our selves, we can shift that independence on Christ by faith. It is a cry for help or calling on God that we focus on what is important and releasing those things that are not. Where does my help come from? It is not the disappearance of anxiety but the appearance of God in our lives 24/7.
We are a needy people and not having those needs met by God will cause anxiety. This devotion will cause you to look different at the aspect of anxiety but also in your relationship with the Lord and faith. That there is relationship building that gives satisfaction.
Highly Recommend!
A Special Thank you to New Growth Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
This daily devotion opened the many different ways our hearts are anxious. The triggers and more importantly, what brings us peace. If you have a trust issue, you probably suffer from anxiety. If you have relationship problems, you probably suffer from fear. But in honestly, there are many things that cause us anxiety. However, there is only one thing that brings peace and that is facing your reality. Actually saying that aloud can cause anxiety but in facing our reality, we are directing our eyes, heart, soul, and mind to Jesus. Loving him with all that we are.
In knowing how we depend on our selves, we can shift that independence on Christ by faith. It is a cry for help or calling on God that we focus on what is important and releasing those things that are not. Where does my help come from? It is not the disappearance of anxiety but the appearance of God in our lives 24/7.
We are a needy people and not having those needs met by God will cause anxiety. This devotion will cause you to look different at the aspect of anxiety but also in your relationship with the Lord and faith. That there is relationship building that gives satisfaction.
Highly Recommend!
A Special Thank you to New Growth Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
July 28, 2026
Practical! Probably best read with someone.
October 23, 2019
If you struggle with anxiety, stress, or fear, this could be a helpful book to check out.
The book has fifty readings, somewhat devotional in nature. The book covers a variety of topics, such as: fear, loneliness, forgiveness, prayer, grace, hope, death, and various Psalms. Unlike a standard devotional, the passages don't begin with a Scripture verse, but relevant verses are included in the message.
You can read the full review on my blog: https://lmckeeediting.blogspot.com/20...
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy as part of the Read with Audra program, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.
The book has fifty readings, somewhat devotional in nature. The book covers a variety of topics, such as: fear, loneliness, forgiveness, prayer, grace, hope, death, and various Psalms. Unlike a standard devotional, the passages don't begin with a Scripture verse, but relevant verses are included in the message.
You can read the full review on my blog: https://lmckeeediting.blogspot.com/20...
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy as part of the Read with Audra program, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.
November 3, 2019
Don’t let the small title fool you. These fifty readings on overcoming anxiety are huge in what they bring to the reader. They aren’t long, but the topics are profound—loneliness, fear, anxiety, forgiveness—are just a few of the subjects covered. Instead of cliche answers that don’t help, the author points directly to the source of true and complete healing, Jesus.
Scripture is included, as is a reflection at the end of each reading.
I found this book encouraging and one I’d absolutely recommend to anyone dealing with anxiety.
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated and all opinions are my own.
Scripture is included, as is a reflection at the end of each reading.
I found this book encouraging and one I’d absolutely recommend to anyone dealing with anxiety.
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated and all opinions are my own.
July 13, 2020
A short and flexible companion to fight anxiety. Easy to read and helpful Christ-focused responses to give you scripture to battle the insecurities of your heart. I found it to be really helpful, especially in the day-to-day of fighting anxiety.
December 27, 2019
Note: I received a promotional copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. -AR
When the email announcing Ed Welch’s new book hit my inbox offering me a promotional copy, I was very interested. Anyone familiar with counseling from a biblical perspective has surely benefited from an article or book of his over the years.
As his bio notes, Ed Welch, MDiv, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at CCEF. He earned a PhD in counseling (neuropsychology) from the University of Utah and has a Master of Divinity degree from Biblical Theological Seminary. Welch has been counseling for over thirty years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear, and addictions. In other words (my words) Welch is one of the most well-known figures of the second generation of Biblical Counselors.
Instead of trumpeting all that, the marketing for the book humbly suggests, There is no quick fix for fear and worry, but the new devotional from Edward T. Welch seeks to help.
The simple question before us then is, Does it?
A Long “Small Book”
A Small Book for the Anxious Heart is just that, a small book. It is 50-day devotional, with each day’s reading around 500 words, plus two or three short “Response” questions to help stir the reader to quiet reflection or beginning steps of action. Why 50 days, I don’t know. Why not 30? Why not 60? Fifty may well be an even number, but for a devotional book length it seems odd to me.
The entries themselves seem to have little to no order or progression. By Day 18 it dawned on me that I could have been reading Day 1, and I thought the same when I got to Day 50. There does not need to be progression, but the lack of it is significant for a reason I’ll discuss later.
Day 1 starts out promisingly enough. “[God’s] words to us cluster around two themes: your God is very near, and he gives the grace and power you need for today. The aim of this book is to help us become more skillful in how we identify our fears and anxieties, hear God’s good words, and grow” (emphasis added). Clearly Welch earnestly desires to serve others and that is, of course, admirable.
The problem though, is that by the end of Day 1’s devotional and for the rest of the book, it misses the mark. And I really wish I did not have to write that. A few examples will follow, but since I mentioned Day 1, here is a statement near the end of the day’s reading,
“God never intended us to bear the overwhelming burdens of life by ourselves. Instead, he gives himself—just the right person to bear them with us” (emphasis added). The problem is, God does not want us bearing our burdens at all. He tells us, commands us, to “roll them off” onto Him (Ps 55:22), to cast our cares on him, for he cares for us (1 Pe 5:7), to lay our heavy loads at Jesus’ feet and take up his light burden instead (Mt 11:28-30). Welch’s statement sounds comforting, but isn’t. It is intended to be help, but doesn’t.
By Day 18 the book feels long. Hypothetically, the reader has lived almost three weeks since starting the book and yet at this point the book feels very much still at Square One. And it continues that way for 32 more days. Overall, where there are the occasional sentences and sections of solid theology and pointing to Christ, on the whole the book is minimally encouraging. By the end it feels like seven weeks + 1 day of revisiting the same wounds, at first dressing them, but never leaving them alone to heal. Every day is like lifting the bandage to look at how they’re doing.
A Soft Word Turns Away
A recurring problem in reading this book is the pulling back from using Bible-language, substituting softer words for those God uses in his Word. For example, nowhere that I could find does the book specifically mention the need to “repent” of the “sin/s” of anxiety and worry. Welch does say “why not confess your sin of unbelief right now?” (Day 10), and similar on Day 18, but these are only close, not exactly where the reader needs to be to biblically deal with their problem. He follows up that Day 10 exhortation with the sentence, “It [confession of sin] is an efficient way to interrupt the tailspin of fear and anxiety.” There are two problems with what is being said here. First, Christians do more than “confess” their sins to God—acknowledging them—we repent of them, which includes the element of not just confessing them but also of forsaking them. Second, we aren’t primarily to repent (“confess”) of sins to feel better or get relief, but to acknowledge we have sinned against a Holy, Just, and Perfect God; it’s primarily to honor God’s holiness and submit to his authority over us.
A second example of this soft approach is found on Day 18 where Welch writes, “It is our breaking trust with God that separates us from him, his love, and his protection.” I’m honestly not trying to be nit-picky here. I am trying give quotes to support my impressions. It’s more than “breaking trust” with God that separates us, it is our sins, our rebellion, our—as RC Sproul put it—“cosmic treason”. Our failure to train others in thinking and speaking in biblical language leads us inevitably to either minimize God’s holiness or minimize our sin, or both. Day 28 (“Tomorrow”) and Day 30 (“Judgment”) are perhaps the strongest language in the book about dealing with our sin.
A third example is on Day 36, where Welch writes, “The problem is when our wants shift into needs, which might more accurately be called loves.” Ed Welch has been serving the Body of Christ at least twice as long as I have been a Christian. He is smarter than me, has counseled tens of thousands of hours longer than I ever will, and I write all of this with great respect to my elder brother in Christ. However, when our wants shift into perceived needs, the Bible does not gently suggest them to be mere “loves”; it calls them idols. Welch knows this.
If we are to disciple believers into wholeness and hope in Christ, and affirm that he can save them from their fears and anxieties, I’ve always been told we must love them enough to be clear, and that means using the words God uses if we are to counsel them from his Word.
A Disappointing Role Model
My disappointment with Welch’s quoting Eugene Peterson‘s Bible paraphrase The Message was only surpassed by his praise for Peterson the man. The popular paraphrase is also fraught with errors, causing at least one evangelical leader, Justin Peters, to call it “not only a poor paraphrase, but it is, in fact, heretical.” Whereas Al Mohler, in his essay about Peterson’s very public retraction of his full endorsement of gay marriage, describes Peterson as a man who “has never been very clear about controversial questions, or on many crucial biblical and theological questions. His writings were categorized as ‘pastoral theology,’ and there is little explicit doctrine in his books,” Welch regards him as “one of an endless number of God’s children who point the way for us and show us what is possible.” I don’t see Welch’s quoting of The Message or speaking of Peterson as egregious, only unfortunate.
Welch quotes Peterson’s assurances about his own eventual death as an example of the kind of confidence (versus fear and anxiety) believers can have about their eventual demise. I agree! As Keith Getty and Stuart Townend co-wrote in In Christ Alone, Christians can rejoice, having now “No guilt in life, no fear in death/this is the power of Christ in me.” I just wish Welch had used someone else an example instead of Peterson, like maybe the famous martyr like Polycarp (“86 years have I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”), Jan Hus, or any of the hundreds of English martyrs who died for their faith during the Reformation, to name a few examples of those having no fear in death.
Praise …and Problems
There are some excellent passages, for sure in this book. Consider this tender and pastoral note of encouragement Welch offers readers:
His love means that he will be close and nothing can separate you from him.
His strength means that he is an ever-present help in trouble and he will make things right.
These two are joined into one event: Christ and him crucified.
In Jesus Christ, we see that God became our suffering servant who identifies with the weak and oppressed, and he takes their burden on himself.
In Jesus Christ, we see the mighty God who takes up the cause of the weak and brings justice to the oppressed. He is the King who has inaugurated his kingdom that will conquer death itself.
[…]The entire Bible is meant to open your eyes to those truths about Jesus, who was seen by all, but for now is just barely out of sight.
“A Small Book for the Anxious Heart” by Ed Welch, Day 23
But then, again, more problems emerge. On Day 42 Welch makes a comment about God and the Garden of Eden I have never heard anyone suggest, “The garden of Eden was God’s house on earth, and he walked with his people in the garden. When we left the garden, he left with us and promised that, in the end, sin would not interfere with his purpose” (emphasis added). Huh? I looked up the verb used in Gen 3:23. It is shalach, and it means “to send”, which by definition indicates the one doing the sending stays while the one sent departs. In fact, Matthew Poole in his commentary (and Gill agrees) says, “the Lord God sent him forth, or expelled him with shame and violence, and so as never to restore him thither; for it is the same word which is used concerning divorced wives” (emphases in original).
No man or woman could write a book like Anxious unless they were writing from a place of deep compassion for their wounded readers, desiring to help point the way out of their darkness and misery and into the light of hope and peace in Christ. As he stated at the outset, Welch’s heart’s desire is to “help” readers, and of that there is no doubt. As well-meaning a resource as it is intended to be, A Small Book for the Anxious Heart regrettably misses its noble goal.
A Small Book for the Anxious Heart by Ed T. Welch was published in October 2019 by New Growth Press. I received a promotional copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. This review first appeared at ThyKingdomComma.com.
When the email announcing Ed Welch’s new book hit my inbox offering me a promotional copy, I was very interested. Anyone familiar with counseling from a biblical perspective has surely benefited from an article or book of his over the years.
As his bio notes, Ed Welch, MDiv, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at CCEF. He earned a PhD in counseling (neuropsychology) from the University of Utah and has a Master of Divinity degree from Biblical Theological Seminary. Welch has been counseling for over thirty years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear, and addictions. In other words (my words) Welch is one of the most well-known figures of the second generation of Biblical Counselors.
Instead of trumpeting all that, the marketing for the book humbly suggests, There is no quick fix for fear and worry, but the new devotional from Edward T. Welch seeks to help.
The simple question before us then is, Does it?
A Long “Small Book”
A Small Book for the Anxious Heart is just that, a small book. It is 50-day devotional, with each day’s reading around 500 words, plus two or three short “Response” questions to help stir the reader to quiet reflection or beginning steps of action. Why 50 days, I don’t know. Why not 30? Why not 60? Fifty may well be an even number, but for a devotional book length it seems odd to me.
The entries themselves seem to have little to no order or progression. By Day 18 it dawned on me that I could have been reading Day 1, and I thought the same when I got to Day 50. There does not need to be progression, but the lack of it is significant for a reason I’ll discuss later.
Day 1 starts out promisingly enough. “[God’s] words to us cluster around two themes: your God is very near, and he gives the grace and power you need for today. The aim of this book is to help us become more skillful in how we identify our fears and anxieties, hear God’s good words, and grow” (emphasis added). Clearly Welch earnestly desires to serve others and that is, of course, admirable.
The problem though, is that by the end of Day 1’s devotional and for the rest of the book, it misses the mark. And I really wish I did not have to write that. A few examples will follow, but since I mentioned Day 1, here is a statement near the end of the day’s reading,
“God never intended us to bear the overwhelming burdens of life by ourselves. Instead, he gives himself—just the right person to bear them with us” (emphasis added). The problem is, God does not want us bearing our burdens at all. He tells us, commands us, to “roll them off” onto Him (Ps 55:22), to cast our cares on him, for he cares for us (1 Pe 5:7), to lay our heavy loads at Jesus’ feet and take up his light burden instead (Mt 11:28-30). Welch’s statement sounds comforting, but isn’t. It is intended to be help, but doesn’t.
By Day 18 the book feels long. Hypothetically, the reader has lived almost three weeks since starting the book and yet at this point the book feels very much still at Square One. And it continues that way for 32 more days. Overall, where there are the occasional sentences and sections of solid theology and pointing to Christ, on the whole the book is minimally encouraging. By the end it feels like seven weeks + 1 day of revisiting the same wounds, at first dressing them, but never leaving them alone to heal. Every day is like lifting the bandage to look at how they’re doing.
A Soft Word Turns Away
A recurring problem in reading this book is the pulling back from using Bible-language, substituting softer words for those God uses in his Word. For example, nowhere that I could find does the book specifically mention the need to “repent” of the “sin/s” of anxiety and worry. Welch does say “why not confess your sin of unbelief right now?” (Day 10), and similar on Day 18, but these are only close, not exactly where the reader needs to be to biblically deal with their problem. He follows up that Day 10 exhortation with the sentence, “It [confession of sin] is an efficient way to interrupt the tailspin of fear and anxiety.” There are two problems with what is being said here. First, Christians do more than “confess” their sins to God—acknowledging them—we repent of them, which includes the element of not just confessing them but also of forsaking them. Second, we aren’t primarily to repent (“confess”) of sins to feel better or get relief, but to acknowledge we have sinned against a Holy, Just, and Perfect God; it’s primarily to honor God’s holiness and submit to his authority over us.
A second example of this soft approach is found on Day 18 where Welch writes, “It is our breaking trust with God that separates us from him, his love, and his protection.” I’m honestly not trying to be nit-picky here. I am trying give quotes to support my impressions. It’s more than “breaking trust” with God that separates us, it is our sins, our rebellion, our—as RC Sproul put it—“cosmic treason”. Our failure to train others in thinking and speaking in biblical language leads us inevitably to either minimize God’s holiness or minimize our sin, or both. Day 28 (“Tomorrow”) and Day 30 (“Judgment”) are perhaps the strongest language in the book about dealing with our sin.
A third example is on Day 36, where Welch writes, “The problem is when our wants shift into needs, which might more accurately be called loves.” Ed Welch has been serving the Body of Christ at least twice as long as I have been a Christian. He is smarter than me, has counseled tens of thousands of hours longer than I ever will, and I write all of this with great respect to my elder brother in Christ. However, when our wants shift into perceived needs, the Bible does not gently suggest them to be mere “loves”; it calls them idols. Welch knows this.
If we are to disciple believers into wholeness and hope in Christ, and affirm that he can save them from their fears and anxieties, I’ve always been told we must love them enough to be clear, and that means using the words God uses if we are to counsel them from his Word.
A Disappointing Role Model
My disappointment with Welch’s quoting Eugene Peterson‘s Bible paraphrase The Message was only surpassed by his praise for Peterson the man. The popular paraphrase is also fraught with errors, causing at least one evangelical leader, Justin Peters, to call it “not only a poor paraphrase, but it is, in fact, heretical.” Whereas Al Mohler, in his essay about Peterson’s very public retraction of his full endorsement of gay marriage, describes Peterson as a man who “has never been very clear about controversial questions, or on many crucial biblical and theological questions. His writings were categorized as ‘pastoral theology,’ and there is little explicit doctrine in his books,” Welch regards him as “one of an endless number of God’s children who point the way for us and show us what is possible.” I don’t see Welch’s quoting of The Message or speaking of Peterson as egregious, only unfortunate.
Welch quotes Peterson’s assurances about his own eventual death as an example of the kind of confidence (versus fear and anxiety) believers can have about their eventual demise. I agree! As Keith Getty and Stuart Townend co-wrote in In Christ Alone, Christians can rejoice, having now “No guilt in life, no fear in death/this is the power of Christ in me.” I just wish Welch had used someone else an example instead of Peterson, like maybe the famous martyr like Polycarp (“86 years have I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”), Jan Hus, or any of the hundreds of English martyrs who died for their faith during the Reformation, to name a few examples of those having no fear in death.
Praise …and Problems
There are some excellent passages, for sure in this book. Consider this tender and pastoral note of encouragement Welch offers readers:
His love means that he will be close and nothing can separate you from him.
His strength means that he is an ever-present help in trouble and he will make things right.
These two are joined into one event: Christ and him crucified.
In Jesus Christ, we see that God became our suffering servant who identifies with the weak and oppressed, and he takes their burden on himself.
In Jesus Christ, we see the mighty God who takes up the cause of the weak and brings justice to the oppressed. He is the King who has inaugurated his kingdom that will conquer death itself.
[…]The entire Bible is meant to open your eyes to those truths about Jesus, who was seen by all, but for now is just barely out of sight.
“A Small Book for the Anxious Heart” by Ed Welch, Day 23
But then, again, more problems emerge. On Day 42 Welch makes a comment about God and the Garden of Eden I have never heard anyone suggest, “The garden of Eden was God’s house on earth, and he walked with his people in the garden. When we left the garden, he left with us and promised that, in the end, sin would not interfere with his purpose” (emphasis added). Huh? I looked up the verb used in Gen 3:23. It is shalach, and it means “to send”, which by definition indicates the one doing the sending stays while the one sent departs. In fact, Matthew Poole in his commentary (and Gill agrees) says, “the Lord God sent him forth, or expelled him with shame and violence, and so as never to restore him thither; for it is the same word which is used concerning divorced wives” (emphases in original).
No man or woman could write a book like Anxious unless they were writing from a place of deep compassion for their wounded readers, desiring to help point the way out of their darkness and misery and into the light of hope and peace in Christ. As he stated at the outset, Welch’s heart’s desire is to “help” readers, and of that there is no doubt. As well-meaning a resource as it is intended to be, A Small Book for the Anxious Heart regrettably misses its noble goal.
A Small Book for the Anxious Heart by Ed T. Welch was published in October 2019 by New Growth Press. I received a promotional copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. This review first appeared at ThyKingdomComma.com.
May 14, 2020
While I would not say it is Welch's best work nor would I applaud it as a great book, it is a good book. If you are not a big reader but find yourself needing to meditate on biblical truth during this anxious and fearful time, consider purchasing and gleaning from the meditations in 'A Small Book for the Anxious Heart'. If you are looking for a quick read that will remind you where your trust needs to be as you worry and who you need to place your faith in while you face fears, then check out this book by Edward Welch.
See full review at: http://www.entrustedbygod.org/2020/05...
See full review at: http://www.entrustedbygod.org/2020/05...
November 27, 2022
Highly recommended! If the weight of your anxiety makes even the thought of pursuing truth and help sound overwhelming, this book is for you. It's literally, physically small and each of the 50 sections is just three or four pages. But its size and its depth are not aligned – this is no feather-weight read. Instead, every little section highlights a truth about God and points you to the ways that truth undercuts your fear. The combination of small bites and deep truth is powerful.
March 26, 2020
Helpful, Christ-centered devotional to consider how faith in the Lord enables us to speak truth to our fears, anxieties and worries. Very timely in our current COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Pick one up today, and get 50 days of edifying meditations! You’ll be glad you did!
July 14, 2020
This is a helpful little book. I kept it by my bedside and read one chapter a night. Each chapter is only one or two pages. It’s not complicated but repeats similar themes of turning away from fear and trust in God. Extremely helpful during the season that our world is in.
January 20, 2023
Beautiful devotional that reminds you to turn to the only thing that can give you perfect rest. The can to not be anxious is not a stern command rather a loving father inviting us into deep rest, peace and joy.
May 2, 2024
Not particularly deep, but the short chapters are easily read and there is plenty food for thought even in the small package. And it's sadly refreshing to read a Christian who's also a counseling professional who doesn't claim that anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, etc. are "not real" (IYKYK).
December 26, 2025
Just 50 very short devotions on anxiety, fear, and stress - but, goodness, this book was deeply comforting to me. Felt particularly timely to read around the busy holidays (and cold/flu season lol) amidst the chaos of mothering three small children.
May 9, 2020
Great to use as part of your devotions.
September 24, 2020
This book came at the perfect time.
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