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Look to Love: A Better Way to Read the Bible
Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?
It's the first & greatest command—the most important thing. But even if we want to love God that way, most of us don't.
Are we doomed? Absolutely not.
Drawing from psychology, Shakespeare, loads of Scripture, and her personal experience falling in love at 13 (and staying in love for 26 years), Gerhardt makes a story-rich case for a sure-fire way to fall in love and stay in love with God.
It's a better way to read the Bible
***
Inspiring, warm, genuine and practical, Look to Love is both convicting and comforting. This isn’t a book to shame you into reading your Bible. It’s an invitation and a help. Gerhardt doesn't just leave you wanting to love God; she shows you how.
***
Look to Love is divided into three
The first four chapters introduce readers to the idea of looking to love in scripture.The middle section leads readers through 11 case studies—practical examples of what it looks like to interact with God this way through the Bible.The last section explores a few key areas of how to look to love in communal Bible study, how to talk back to God as you read, how to approach the thornier parts of scripture, and how to turn reading about God into living with God.
Are we doomed? Absolutely not.
Drawing from psychology, Shakespeare, loads of Scripture, and her personal experience falling in love at 13 (and staying in love for 26 years), Gerhardt makes a story-rich case for a sure-fire way to fall in love and stay in love with God.
It's a better way to read the Bible
***
Inspiring, warm, genuine and practical, Look to Love is both convicting and comforting. This isn’t a book to shame you into reading your Bible. It’s an invitation and a help. Gerhardt doesn't just leave you wanting to love God; she shows you how.
***
Look to Love is divided into three
The first four chapters introduce readers to the idea of looking to love in scripture.The middle section leads readers through 11 case studies—practical examples of what it looks like to interact with God this way through the Bible.The last section explores a few key areas of how to look to love in communal Bible study, how to talk back to God as you read, how to approach the thornier parts of scripture, and how to turn reading about God into living with God.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2021
15 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 12, 2022
First I want to say that I have been a longtime Gerhardt reader, so it's painful to write this review. God has used her to do great work in the kingdom. I believe she truly loves God, and I commend her goal of helping others love Him. Unfortunately, this book misses the mark of valid biblical reading and interpretation.
This book is a manual in eisegesis (using your own feelings and emotions to interpret the text). There’s a reason the apostles didn’t use eisegesis in their preaching and writing, and why we shouldn’t rely on it either. Our emotions MUST be shaped and informed by the text; we cannot use our emotions to inform the text. Eisegesis is a train without brakes, and it’s bound to end badly.
We see an example of Gerhardt leaving the tracks in the chapter Lover’s Quarrel. Gerhardt explains how God’s scriptures on gender and lack of female narrators have caused her deep emotional distress for more than a decade. She describes how she cries often and remains angry at God, and even has doubts about God’s love for her. But, she says, it’s fine because she still loves Him.
Let’s pretend for a minute that Look to Love was a guide on loving your husband. Imagine that the author tells us that a decade ago, her husband said something that hurt her feelings. She recognizes that her husband was 100% right about what he said, but to this day she often reminds him of her anger, she cries for long stretches, and she writes publicly about how she’s still angry at her husband and how she isn’t sure if he loves her enough. But, she says, it’s fine because she still loves him. I hope all of us would see that this isn’t how we treat someone we love; it’s what the Bible calls bitterness, and bitterness has no place in Christian relationships. Maybe there’s a lot of good about her relationship with her husband, but until this log of bitterness is removed from her eye, she shouldn’t be advising us how to love our husbands. If we can see that this isn’t how a loving relationship between humans should function, how much more should we see it when it’s a relationship with God?
Gerhardt’s eisegesis has led her away from what God tells her in the scriptures. He tells her that Christ loved her--a woman made in the image of God--so much He died for her. In His perfect love, He took on her sin and gave her His righteousness. Her emotions have led her to doubt God’s love, when the text tells her the exact opposite.
The method of putting our emotions into the text looks appealing at first, but our hearts are foolish. Gerhardt has shown us what inevitably happens; we elevate our feelings to truth and ignore what God is clearly telling us. It isn’t enough to mentally acknowledge that God is right while clinging to our dissenting emotions; we must train our emotions into submission and repent of emotions that haven’t honored God.
There are many authors whose writings can draw us deeply into God's love while using exegesis (interpreting the text with the text, not with our emotions). For great examples, look to the Puritans like John Bunyan, Jeremiah Burroughs, Richard Sibbes, and Samuel Rutherford. Charles Spurgeon was another theologian who was deeply emotional while sticking to the text word-by-word. If you're looking for modern books that teach you to read the Bible exegetically and will help you fall in love with God, I suggest Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament by Nancy Guthrie and Show Them Jesus by Jack Klumpenhower.
Update: I need to add one more thing that has been pressing on my mind. Several times in this book, Gerhardt accuses David of raping Bathsheba. The biblical text gives us absolutely no indication that the sin he committed was rape. There’s a biblical term for accusing someone of a crime without certain knowledge: bearing false witness. Gerhardt is bearing false witness against David. I know there’s a modern cultural movement to call seduction by a person in power “rape,” but that’s not a biblical standard. We all bear some sort of power over others, and can use it for evil. A woman who wears short skirt to a bar has a lot of power over men, but we are not willing to call her a rapist. The Bible calls it seduction, and it is a different sin. The Bible tells us David was guilty of adultery. Could he also have been guilty of rape or seduction? Possibly, but it’s also possible that Bathsheba jumped at the chance to be with him. We aren’t told, and we shouldn’t be making allegations against him that God didn’t make.
This book is a manual in eisegesis (using your own feelings and emotions to interpret the text). There’s a reason the apostles didn’t use eisegesis in their preaching and writing, and why we shouldn’t rely on it either. Our emotions MUST be shaped and informed by the text; we cannot use our emotions to inform the text. Eisegesis is a train without brakes, and it’s bound to end badly.
We see an example of Gerhardt leaving the tracks in the chapter Lover’s Quarrel. Gerhardt explains how God’s scriptures on gender and lack of female narrators have caused her deep emotional distress for more than a decade. She describes how she cries often and remains angry at God, and even has doubts about God’s love for her. But, she says, it’s fine because she still loves Him.
Let’s pretend for a minute that Look to Love was a guide on loving your husband. Imagine that the author tells us that a decade ago, her husband said something that hurt her feelings. She recognizes that her husband was 100% right about what he said, but to this day she often reminds him of her anger, she cries for long stretches, and she writes publicly about how she’s still angry at her husband and how she isn’t sure if he loves her enough. But, she says, it’s fine because she still loves him. I hope all of us would see that this isn’t how we treat someone we love; it’s what the Bible calls bitterness, and bitterness has no place in Christian relationships. Maybe there’s a lot of good about her relationship with her husband, but until this log of bitterness is removed from her eye, she shouldn’t be advising us how to love our husbands. If we can see that this isn’t how a loving relationship between humans should function, how much more should we see it when it’s a relationship with God?
Gerhardt’s eisegesis has led her away from what God tells her in the scriptures. He tells her that Christ loved her--a woman made in the image of God--so much He died for her. In His perfect love, He took on her sin and gave her His righteousness. Her emotions have led her to doubt God’s love, when the text tells her the exact opposite.
The method of putting our emotions into the text looks appealing at first, but our hearts are foolish. Gerhardt has shown us what inevitably happens; we elevate our feelings to truth and ignore what God is clearly telling us. It isn’t enough to mentally acknowledge that God is right while clinging to our dissenting emotions; we must train our emotions into submission and repent of emotions that haven’t honored God.
There are many authors whose writings can draw us deeply into God's love while using exegesis (interpreting the text with the text, not with our emotions). For great examples, look to the Puritans like John Bunyan, Jeremiah Burroughs, Richard Sibbes, and Samuel Rutherford. Charles Spurgeon was another theologian who was deeply emotional while sticking to the text word-by-word. If you're looking for modern books that teach you to read the Bible exegetically and will help you fall in love with God, I suggest Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament by Nancy Guthrie and Show Them Jesus by Jack Klumpenhower.
Update: I need to add one more thing that has been pressing on my mind. Several times in this book, Gerhardt accuses David of raping Bathsheba. The biblical text gives us absolutely no indication that the sin he committed was rape. There’s a biblical term for accusing someone of a crime without certain knowledge: bearing false witness. Gerhardt is bearing false witness against David. I know there’s a modern cultural movement to call seduction by a person in power “rape,” but that’s not a biblical standard. We all bear some sort of power over others, and can use it for evil. A woman who wears short skirt to a bar has a lot of power over men, but we are not willing to call her a rapist. The Bible calls it seduction, and it is a different sin. The Bible tells us David was guilty of adultery. Could he also have been guilty of rape or seduction? Possibly, but it’s also possible that Bathsheba jumped at the chance to be with him. We aren’t told, and we shouldn’t be making allegations against him that God didn’t make.
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August 25, 2023Definitely made some interesting points and had me looking at some Bible passages with new eyes. Definitely glad I read it. Didn't agree with everything she said, but that's normal for when I read Bible study books.
February 17, 2023
3.75 stars.
Lots of thought-provoking & challenging ideas in this one. I especially enjoyed the discussions about “wrestling with God,” and how He has always welcomed His people to be open and honest with him in their confusion or anger (Moses, Jacob, Job, David). Also, I’ve been trying to amend the one-dimensional way I grew up seeing God, and this book provides plenty of fresh, encouraging perspectives.
Some of the “case studies” felt unresolved & incomplete (though to be fair, that could have been intentional to encourage further study from the reader). The writing style wasn’t my favorite, and I found certain comments & examples to be distracting & unhelpful. Also several typos and odd spacing issues.
Overall I recommend overlooking any of the issues, and giving it a read for the major themes, because I have found they’ve stuck with me.
Lots of thought-provoking & challenging ideas in this one. I especially enjoyed the discussions about “wrestling with God,” and how He has always welcomed His people to be open and honest with him in their confusion or anger (Moses, Jacob, Job, David). Also, I’ve been trying to amend the one-dimensional way I grew up seeing God, and this book provides plenty of fresh, encouraging perspectives.
Some of the “case studies” felt unresolved & incomplete (though to be fair, that could have been intentional to encourage further study from the reader). The writing style wasn’t my favorite, and I found certain comments & examples to be distracting & unhelpful. Also several typos and odd spacing issues.
Overall I recommend overlooking any of the issues, and giving it a read for the major themes, because I have found they’ve stuck with me.
November 7, 2021
This book is great for individual or group study. It is true JL style, bringing you in close, like an old friend and having a deep discussion about the best love story there is. This book makes you look deep within and learn to love God but you also see just how He loves you. I’ve gotten copies for friends and can’t wait to read it again with them!
April 28, 2023
This book presents a way to read the Bible that is focused on cultivating a real and honest love for God. I really liked the format of the book. She’s definitely more of an emotionally driven person, which may cause some readers to get squeamish, but I think there’s a lot to learn in her approach.
May 30, 2023
This took a long time because we read it over the course of a year for ladies Bible class each month. I’m a little conflicted about some of the views of the author, but overall a good read. It led actually over a year of discussions, many of which I will never forget.
June 21, 2023
This book was excellent. It has really helped me enjoy reading the Bible. Where before I read out of a sense of obligation or a chore, now I find myself looking forward to my Bible reading time and while reading, not wanting to put it down. Thank you for this book Jennifer! ❤️
May 3, 2022
Love love LOVE this book!! I've been recommending it to all of my friends!
March 21, 2023
Outstanding Bible study!
February 20, 2023
I enjoyed Jennifer’s fresh perspective about seeking God, looking to learn about who God is as we read the Bible, “wrestling with Him” over the hard and confusing stuff, and loving Him with a full heart.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews