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Under the Wings of God
Longing. Hope. Love. Fear.
These are just some of the experiences embodied in the infinitely rich Christian life. In Under the Wings of God, seasoned author Cornelius Plantinga explores these facets and more, reflecting on the joys and challenges of a life following God.
Rooted in Scripture, this book offers wisdom about topics including the problem of suffering, the nature of Christian virtue, love of God and our neighbor, longing for redemption and reconciliation, humility, and hospitality. Plantinga delves into hard questions with a calm and pastoral authority that offers the perfect antidote for the unrest in the world and the church right now. Each reflection is presented with a Bible text and a brief prayer, useful for personal devotions or small group discussions. Readers will emerge with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the Christian life, equipped with timeless insights into the ups and downs of a life lived in the presence of God.
These are just some of the experiences embodied in the infinitely rich Christian life. In Under the Wings of God, seasoned author Cornelius Plantinga explores these facets and more, reflecting on the joys and challenges of a life following God.
Rooted in Scripture, this book offers wisdom about topics including the problem of suffering, the nature of Christian virtue, love of God and our neighbor, longing for redemption and reconciliation, humility, and hospitality. Plantinga delves into hard questions with a calm and pastoral authority that offers the perfect antidote for the unrest in the world and the church right now. Each reflection is presented with a Bible text and a brief prayer, useful for personal devotions or small group discussions. Readers will emerge with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the Christian life, equipped with timeless insights into the ups and downs of a life lived in the presence of God.
192 pages, Paperback
Published January 24, 2023
About the author
Cornelius Plantinga Jr.
16 books64 followersCornelius Plantinga, Jr. is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church and has served as a pastor in Webster, NY and supply preacher in Cliffwood Beach, NJ. Before joining the faculty at Calvin Theological Seminary, Cornelius Plantinga Jr. taught at Princeton Theological Seminary (1976 - 78), Fuller Theological Seminary (1985, 1987) and Regent College (1997). From 1996 to 2002 he served as the first ever Dean of the Chapel at Calvin College. He now serves as President of the seminary and teaches systematic theology.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 4, 2025
Great devotionals. Easy to read, but dug deep and not “self-helpy.”
June 23, 2024
I am not sure how I even found this book. But I am so glad I downloaded it to my kindle and started reading it. The author wrote 20 chapters, each focusing on a passage of Scripture and the author’s thoughts and perspective. I gained so much insight and encouragement from this little book, which is small but powerful. I will definitely re-read!
February 6, 2023
Devotional literature comes in many different forms. One of the most common is a short passage of scripture followed by some brief text to help you contemplate that scripture. At a surface level this short book is an example of the genre. However, in the hands of Dr. Plantinga it becomes something more than a quick sip of scripture before rushing into your day. Dr. Plantinga helps the reader see the scripture text through fresh eyes. The result is a desire to follow the instructions of the introduction to "mull over," "consider," and "dwell on" the scriptural text. After the readings I often found myself sitting and thinking through the scripture passage I had read at the beginning of the reading and how it might make a difference in the daily business of living.
The readings were a bit uneven in their ability to engage my imagination but they always left me with something helpful to explore. I highly recommend, Under the Wings of God: Twenty Biblical Reflections for a Deeper Faith to anyone looking for an aid to scripture contemplation and application.
My review copy was provided by Baker Publishing Group through NetGalley.
The readings were a bit uneven in their ability to engage my imagination but they always left me with something helpful to explore. I highly recommend, Under the Wings of God: Twenty Biblical Reflections for a Deeper Faith to anyone looking for an aid to scripture contemplation and application.
My review copy was provided by Baker Publishing Group through NetGalley.
December 24, 2022
Ordinary believers honour the Bible. Church-goers read the Bible. Academics analyze the Bible. Devotees meditate on the Bible. Pastors preach the Bible. Authors write about the Bible. It would seem like the Bible is used in so many different ways. Those seeking a closer walk with God will not be content with any form of superficial reading. They will also meditate and contemplate the Word of God. As purposed in the cover of this book, renowned Professor Cornelius Plantinga shares 20 reflections to help us grow deeper in faith. In each chapter, he begins with the full Bible passage and a brief description. This is followed by a reflection which occupies the bulk of the chapter. Ending each chapter is a prayer. Plantinga starts with Ps 91 where a cursory reading would say it is about security in God. A deeper reading would be an exhortation not to worry. He takes the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37 and applies it powerfully to the intellectual pursuit of God, something that some ordinary believers tend to dismiss as a mere academic exercise. The key lies in the reason for the study: Loving God more with the mind. We read about Colossians 3's exhortation to patience and how the author connects it with other attributes like anger management. Some of the most powerful reflections happen to be the way conventional beliefs are turned on their heads. For example, in Exodus 32, the text describes how the Israelites turned away from God and worshiped the golden calf. Plantinga describes the episode in such a way that we can all see the dangers and pain of adultery. While most people would dismiss Israel then as the adulterous nation that is only bent on disappointing God, a closer reading reveals that was not the case. They may have worshiped other gods but they still have the desire to worship the True God. They simply are people who practice spiritual polygamy. While the Bible condemns adultery in its strongest terms, there is also grace that overwhelms punishment for sin. Following this thread, in Genesis 4:1-16, there is the story of Cain and Abel where jealousy turned to murder. This led to the banishment of Cain who became cursed to be a restless wanderer. Further reflection points to a man though tarnished by sin still desires a close relationship with God. This is not something that we can pick up unless we observe the way the text was written.
My Thoughts
==============
This book is more than just a devotional. It is an insightful book about theological truths that point to the practice of the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. There are many stories and illustrations that accompany each passage. Like a sermon, they provide clarity to the key points of the biblical texts. What makes it most engaging was how Plantinga takes our understanding to a whole new level, one that encapsulates the love of God even in the midst of sin and suffering. By bringing theological truths into greater clarity, he makes the study of the Bible interesting. Hopefully, this will not make anyone shy about the pursuit of theology. The author also gives the devotional a practical flavour. In the chapter on "Practice Hospitality," he provides "Nine little habits of highly hospitable people" to supplement the reflection on Romans 12:9-12. At the same time, knowing the limits in which we have, he adopts a gracious acknowledgment that we should share what we could and not be guilty about what we could not do. These twenty reflections will set the stage for readers to do their own reflections as well.
This is no ordinary devotional. It is both instructional and inspirational. Instructional because of the faithfulness to the meaning and contexts of the Bible and inspirational because of the way it reveals the character of God to us. It is also interesting to note how Plantinga ends the book with a reflection on Job. A superficial reading of Job frontloads us that the whole tragedy that affects Job begins with a bet. Critics would accuse God of being unfair to Job. If we simply read and limit ourselves to the story of Job, we would have missed the point of the Bible. By linking us to the person of Christ, who suffered unjustly, we would see Job as a glimpse of the greater redemption that is to come in history. Perhaps, that is the way we should conclude our reflections on the Bible, just like in our prayers, we conclude in the Name of Jesus. That is a good way to declare our faith.
Cornelius (Neal) Plantinga (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the author of many books, including the Christianity Today Book Award winners Not the Way It's Supposed to Be, Engaging God's World, and Reading for Preaching. His most recent book is Morning and Evening Prayers. Plantinga has also served on the boards of Books & Culture, First Things, and Reformed Journal.
Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Brazos Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
My Thoughts
==============
This book is more than just a devotional. It is an insightful book about theological truths that point to the practice of the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. There are many stories and illustrations that accompany each passage. Like a sermon, they provide clarity to the key points of the biblical texts. What makes it most engaging was how Plantinga takes our understanding to a whole new level, one that encapsulates the love of God even in the midst of sin and suffering. By bringing theological truths into greater clarity, he makes the study of the Bible interesting. Hopefully, this will not make anyone shy about the pursuit of theology. The author also gives the devotional a practical flavour. In the chapter on "Practice Hospitality," he provides "Nine little habits of highly hospitable people" to supplement the reflection on Romans 12:9-12. At the same time, knowing the limits in which we have, he adopts a gracious acknowledgment that we should share what we could and not be guilty about what we could not do. These twenty reflections will set the stage for readers to do their own reflections as well.
This is no ordinary devotional. It is both instructional and inspirational. Instructional because of the faithfulness to the meaning and contexts of the Bible and inspirational because of the way it reveals the character of God to us. It is also interesting to note how Plantinga ends the book with a reflection on Job. A superficial reading of Job frontloads us that the whole tragedy that affects Job begins with a bet. Critics would accuse God of being unfair to Job. If we simply read and limit ourselves to the story of Job, we would have missed the point of the Bible. By linking us to the person of Christ, who suffered unjustly, we would see Job as a glimpse of the greater redemption that is to come in history. Perhaps, that is the way we should conclude our reflections on the Bible, just like in our prayers, we conclude in the Name of Jesus. That is a good way to declare our faith.
Cornelius (Neal) Plantinga (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the author of many books, including the Christianity Today Book Award winners Not the Way It's Supposed to Be, Engaging God's World, and Reading for Preaching. His most recent book is Morning and Evening Prayers. Plantinga has also served on the boards of Books & Culture, First Things, and Reformed Journal.
Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Brazos Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
Read
December 6, 2022 Why should you read Neal Plantinga’s latest book Under the Wings of God: Twenty Biblical Reflections for a Deeper Faith? Dr. Plantinga has written twenty reflections on Bible passages. Each chapter begins with a Bible passage, centers on the author’s meditation, and ends with a prayer. You will be inspired, informed, and even entertained.
I will use the author’s first name throughout this review. I hope you readers don’t mind. You see, some years ago, my wife and I took dance lessons with Dr. Plantinga and his wife along with many other couples. Neal, the name I now associate with him, is or at least was a very good dancer. I only mentioned his dancing skills because so much of book reminds me of dancing. Words dance on the page, whether through his skillful use of the English language, his use of often surprising phrases, his quoting of authoritative sources and mostly his gift for including illustrative stories. The reader would be well off reading this book with some soft waltz or even some tango music playing softly in the background.
Neal has mastered the use of parallelism to gain musical effect, much like many writers of Psalms in the Bible. For example, in chapter14 “Afraid of Easter,” Neal wrote three short parallel sentences. “Evil hurts us. Evil threatens us. Evil threatens to undo us.” A little later in the same chapter, he again begins three sentences with “They are afraid.” Every time this happens in the book, the prose music dances on the page.
In addition, Neal’s use of a surprising, or at least unexpected, word or phrase act like light cymbal crashes in the readers’ minds. The title of chapter 2 “God is on the Loose” is one such crash that jars the reader to think a bit more deeply. What does that mean? Later, he writes about God coming after us. And a little later in the same chapter he writes of a wilderness Savior. Toward the end of the book, Neal writes that Pentecost is dangerous. How is Pentecost dangerous?
In chapter 12, Neal uses the history of the Mafia in America to illustrate his point about self-deception. He writes, “The Godfather’s wife doesn’t know where his money comes from and seemingly never asks. She doesn’t know why…her husband’s chauffeur looks like a piece of heavy farm machinery with sunglasses.” We’ve seen that man’s picture on posters for films, haven’t we? That is just one of the surprising and, in this case, humorous examples found in this book.
In reading this book, I, an old man who has read many books and heard over four thousand sermons, found myself thinking often, “I never thought of that.” Or, “Wow that is really interesting!” Neal is not afraid to talk about some of the more challenging passages of Scripture.
Neal is humble enough to refer to and even quote other authors, often authorities to support and amplify his writing. Here is a list of just some of those references: Jonathan Edwards, C. S. Lewis, Paul Tillich, Justo Gonzales, Lewis Smedes, Martin Luther, Karl Barth, Anne Lamott. Neal uses a sort of cloud of witnesses, saints on earth and saints above, from church history. All these good people strengthen and broaden the scope of Neal’s book.
Finally, Neal uses numerous stories to help the reader. In one chapter, his use of the story of the film “Enemy of the State” with Will Smith illustrates well what it means to be watched, which the author uses to explain that our God is inescapable. In chapter 8, he uses a longer story about Craig and Sharon to explain the connection between idolatry and adultery. That story explains the Israelites desire for a golden calf on their journey through the wilderness. All his stories greatly enhance his explanations.
For those four reasons, while reading this book, I found my mind dancing around with the music of the prose, all so interestingly presented, that I had to force myself to pause between chapters to absorb them
So dear reader please read Under the Wings of God. You will be inspired, informed, and even entertained.
Robert L. Otte
Librarian
LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church
I will use the author’s first name throughout this review. I hope you readers don’t mind. You see, some years ago, my wife and I took dance lessons with Dr. Plantinga and his wife along with many other couples. Neal, the name I now associate with him, is or at least was a very good dancer. I only mentioned his dancing skills because so much of book reminds me of dancing. Words dance on the page, whether through his skillful use of the English language, his use of often surprising phrases, his quoting of authoritative sources and mostly his gift for including illustrative stories. The reader would be well off reading this book with some soft waltz or even some tango music playing softly in the background.
Neal has mastered the use of parallelism to gain musical effect, much like many writers of Psalms in the Bible. For example, in chapter14 “Afraid of Easter,” Neal wrote three short parallel sentences. “Evil hurts us. Evil threatens us. Evil threatens to undo us.” A little later in the same chapter, he again begins three sentences with “They are afraid.” Every time this happens in the book, the prose music dances on the page.
In addition, Neal’s use of a surprising, or at least unexpected, word or phrase act like light cymbal crashes in the readers’ minds. The title of chapter 2 “God is on the Loose” is one such crash that jars the reader to think a bit more deeply. What does that mean? Later, he writes about God coming after us. And a little later in the same chapter he writes of a wilderness Savior. Toward the end of the book, Neal writes that Pentecost is dangerous. How is Pentecost dangerous?
In chapter 12, Neal uses the history of the Mafia in America to illustrate his point about self-deception. He writes, “The Godfather’s wife doesn’t know where his money comes from and seemingly never asks. She doesn’t know why…her husband’s chauffeur looks like a piece of heavy farm machinery with sunglasses.” We’ve seen that man’s picture on posters for films, haven’t we? That is just one of the surprising and, in this case, humorous examples found in this book.
In reading this book, I, an old man who has read many books and heard over four thousand sermons, found myself thinking often, “I never thought of that.” Or, “Wow that is really interesting!” Neal is not afraid to talk about some of the more challenging passages of Scripture.
Neal is humble enough to refer to and even quote other authors, often authorities to support and amplify his writing. Here is a list of just some of those references: Jonathan Edwards, C. S. Lewis, Paul Tillich, Justo Gonzales, Lewis Smedes, Martin Luther, Karl Barth, Anne Lamott. Neal uses a sort of cloud of witnesses, saints on earth and saints above, from church history. All these good people strengthen and broaden the scope of Neal’s book.
Finally, Neal uses numerous stories to help the reader. In one chapter, his use of the story of the film “Enemy of the State” with Will Smith illustrates well what it means to be watched, which the author uses to explain that our God is inescapable. In chapter 8, he uses a longer story about Craig and Sharon to explain the connection between idolatry and adultery. That story explains the Israelites desire for a golden calf on their journey through the wilderness. All his stories greatly enhance his explanations.
For those four reasons, while reading this book, I found my mind dancing around with the music of the prose, all so interestingly presented, that I had to force myself to pause between chapters to absorb them
So dear reader please read Under the Wings of God. You will be inspired, informed, and even entertained.
Robert L. Otte
Librarian
LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church
January 8, 2023
We can all use words of wisdom and guidance when it comes to the Christian life. That's especially true in challenging times, when one wonders whether the path of faith is workable. Living as we do in a secular age, though religion and spirituality in different forms seem present everywhere, what one might describe as a thick faith, a faith that is deeply rooted and not subject to be hijacked by cultural and political movements that run counter to one's faith commitments.
Under the Wings of God offers the reader twenty reflections offer to ground one's faith deeply in the biblical story. Cornelius Plantinga, the author of these twenty reflections, which run about six printed pages each, is president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary and currently a senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. He is the author of quite a number of books that have been well-received.
There are all kinds of what one might call devotional books and guides. Some are quite shallow and don't require much thought. They serve a purpose. This is not one of those kinds of books. These reflections require some thoughtful engagement. In other words, it serves as an invitation to engage in the spiritual discipline of reading and reflecting on Scripture. The goal here is to engage in reflections that go beyond the superficial.
Many of the reflections, all of which are rooted in a particular biblical text, address difficult questions that many wrestle with. For example, the third reflection, titled "With All Your Mind," and based on the reading from Deuteronomy 6 and Matthew 22, invites us to consider what it means to love God with our minds. Here we have a response to both anti-intellectualism that pits mind against Spirit and a selfish intellectualism that detracts from the life of faith. There's a reflection on "The Inescapable God" based on Psalm 139, which reminds us that we cannot evade God. While it might be unsettling to think that God is always present, it is also comforting. He writes about eschatology --"In the Interim" --- and "Self Deception" which calls for an honest self-evaluation and confession of sin.
Each of the twenty reflections begins with a scripture reading that serves as the basis of the reflection and then a brief closing prayer. They invite us to dive deep into Scripture and ponder the message that this ancient text has for us today. It has devotional possibilities but is much more.
Under the Wings of God offers the reader twenty reflections offer to ground one's faith deeply in the biblical story. Cornelius Plantinga, the author of these twenty reflections, which run about six printed pages each, is president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary and currently a senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. He is the author of quite a number of books that have been well-received.
There are all kinds of what one might call devotional books and guides. Some are quite shallow and don't require much thought. They serve a purpose. This is not one of those kinds of books. These reflections require some thoughtful engagement. In other words, it serves as an invitation to engage in the spiritual discipline of reading and reflecting on Scripture. The goal here is to engage in reflections that go beyond the superficial.
Many of the reflections, all of which are rooted in a particular biblical text, address difficult questions that many wrestle with. For example, the third reflection, titled "With All Your Mind," and based on the reading from Deuteronomy 6 and Matthew 22, invites us to consider what it means to love God with our minds. Here we have a response to both anti-intellectualism that pits mind against Spirit and a selfish intellectualism that detracts from the life of faith. There's a reflection on "The Inescapable God" based on Psalm 139, which reminds us that we cannot evade God. While it might be unsettling to think that God is always present, it is also comforting. He writes about eschatology --"In the Interim" --- and "Self Deception" which calls for an honest self-evaluation and confession of sin.
Each of the twenty reflections begins with a scripture reading that serves as the basis of the reflection and then a brief closing prayer. They invite us to dive deep into Scripture and ponder the message that this ancient text has for us today. It has devotional possibilities but is much more.
December 2, 2022
“We are like fledglings who scuttle under the wings of their parent. The forces of evil beat on those wings with everything they have… But no final evil can get to us because those wings have never folded.” This is what Cornelius Plantinga Jr. writes in response to Psalm 91.
That, and many other parts of Under the Wings of God, surprised me with their ability to show me scripture in a new light. Cornelius takes twenty passages from scripture and reflects on them in ways that remind me of Eugene Peterson and James Martin--ways that only someone who has lived a life of thoughtful and prayerful reflection can. This was my first encounter with him and I think there’s much more to uncover. The spiritual reflections read like mini sermons, yet thankfully, there is less reliance on commentary and more reliance on experience and plain readings of scripture.
Just read this:
“How do you tell whether somebody is fit for heaven? You look for hospitality. “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matt. 25:35). The readiness to welcome a stranger.” How ordinary and yet, how true. And what a commentary on modern American (and Evangelical) politics. It’s insights like these that challenge me and hopefully will challenge those around me to integrate simple concepts, like “etiquette” and “politeness” into deep theological reflection on the state of my heart.
Cornelius makes the Bible feel a bit more like poetry and I’m grateful for it. No more wooden Bible studies with canned questions about life application and “where do we go from here” responses. These reflections are more of an open-ended adventure and they breathe new life into Scripture. Well done.
That, and many other parts of Under the Wings of God, surprised me with their ability to show me scripture in a new light. Cornelius takes twenty passages from scripture and reflects on them in ways that remind me of Eugene Peterson and James Martin--ways that only someone who has lived a life of thoughtful and prayerful reflection can. This was my first encounter with him and I think there’s much more to uncover. The spiritual reflections read like mini sermons, yet thankfully, there is less reliance on commentary and more reliance on experience and plain readings of scripture.
Just read this:
“How do you tell whether somebody is fit for heaven? You look for hospitality. “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matt. 25:35). The readiness to welcome a stranger.” How ordinary and yet, how true. And what a commentary on modern American (and Evangelical) politics. It’s insights like these that challenge me and hopefully will challenge those around me to integrate simple concepts, like “etiquette” and “politeness” into deep theological reflection on the state of my heart.
Cornelius makes the Bible feel a bit more like poetry and I’m grateful for it. No more wooden Bible studies with canned questions about life application and “where do we go from here” responses. These reflections are more of an open-ended adventure and they breathe new life into Scripture. Well done.
February 14, 2023
I read and very much enjoyed one of Plantinga's books (Engaging God's World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living) in college, so was particularly excited to see this book appear on NetGalley.
Now I want to go re-read _Engaging God's World_, lol!
Plantinga writes engagingly and informally in _Under the Wings of God_--the perfect approach to a devotional. He notes in the introduction a desire for the reader to really engage with Scripture, and he absolutely succeeds here. So many devotionals on the market today are just a verse or two and a page of extrapolation--not so this read, for which I am thankful. It includes (or points the reader to) extended passages of scripture, along with decently lengthy writings of Plantinga's own. Christ ought to be what we focus on most, and I certainly feel this read helps with that.
Meaningful and thought-provoking; 4/5 stars.
I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Now I want to go re-read _Engaging God's World_, lol!
Plantinga writes engagingly and informally in _Under the Wings of God_--the perfect approach to a devotional. He notes in the introduction a desire for the reader to really engage with Scripture, and he absolutely succeeds here. So many devotionals on the market today are just a verse or two and a page of extrapolation--not so this read, for which I am thankful. It includes (or points the reader to) extended passages of scripture, along with decently lengthy writings of Plantinga's own. Christ ought to be what we focus on most, and I certainly feel this read helps with that.
Meaningful and thought-provoking; 4/5 stars.
I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 20, 2023
I’m not a huge fan of typical devotionals, because they can sometimes veer into a quasi-self-help Christianity. Or maybe it’s my Word of Faith/Pentecostal background filters I see through. In any case, I was hesitant about this book, but wanted to give it a try and I’m so glad I did. It’s an excellent little book, full of deep insights, but in an easy to digest format. It begins with a Scripture reference that the author recommends reading in full prior to reading the chapter and I agree with this as well, because it helps with understanding. Then the author dives into a topic, where he almost always brings out something that I’ve always wondered or something I have never thought of. Each chapter ends with a short prayer that could easily be memorized or saved and prayed again and again. Since I struggle with prayer, I very much appreciated this tangible application I could take away.
Though it’s a small book (178 pages), it’s one that could take awhile to read (if you so choose) because of how deep it is and how much “marinating” you could do. Overall, I’m very pleased with it and my faith in devotionals/reflections/meditations might be restored.
I received this book as part of an Early Reviewer program.
Though it’s a small book (178 pages), it’s one that could take awhile to read (if you so choose) because of how deep it is and how much “marinating” you could do. Overall, I’m very pleased with it and my faith in devotionals/reflections/meditations might be restored.
I received this book as part of an Early Reviewer program.
March 3, 2023
Plantinga writes very well and clearly has a good grasp of Scripture. He's an absorbing storyteller.
As he states in his introduction, reflecting or meditating on Scripture is an important spiritual practice and these 20 reflections certainly make you reflect on both the verses plus the meaning Plantinga draws out.
Each reflection is 4-5 pages long and are based on a particular set of verses. As is always a good idea when meditating on Scripture, Plantinga encourages the reader to read the entire chapter that he's drawing out the particular reflection.
I felt the various 'topics' were a bit hit and miss. I appreciate each day's was a unique reflection and were able to standalone, however, I guess I was hoping there might be some undercurrent of a theme that might pull them together. As a result, some days reflections weren't as interesting as others.
There were some beauties, however. The last one on Job is an excellent perspective on this most challenging of books and I'm certain I will reflect on it again.
Don't let my review discourage you, as some of the other ones are quite glowing in their praise.
I was fortunate to receive and early ebook copy from the publisher via NetGalley with no expectation of a favourable review.
As he states in his introduction, reflecting or meditating on Scripture is an important spiritual practice and these 20 reflections certainly make you reflect on both the verses plus the meaning Plantinga draws out.
Each reflection is 4-5 pages long and are based on a particular set of verses. As is always a good idea when meditating on Scripture, Plantinga encourages the reader to read the entire chapter that he's drawing out the particular reflection.
I felt the various 'topics' were a bit hit and miss. I appreciate each day's was a unique reflection and were able to standalone, however, I guess I was hoping there might be some undercurrent of a theme that might pull them together. As a result, some days reflections weren't as interesting as others.
There were some beauties, however. The last one on Job is an excellent perspective on this most challenging of books and I'm certain I will reflect on it again.
Don't let my review discourage you, as some of the other ones are quite glowing in their praise.
I was fortunate to receive and early ebook copy from the publisher via NetGalley with no expectation of a favourable review.
November 16, 2022
The book Under the Wings of God is so much more than a devotional, although it could serve as one. The author masterfully incorporates Bible verses and stories with insight he has gleaned from life experience, wisdom from older texts, and references to popular culture reads. This is a multi-layered work that provided me with a deeper appreciation for Christian teaching. I consider myself a non-denominationalist and the author's perspective challenged me to go deeper with concepts re: Job, patience, humility, and even Christ's death on the cross. I respect the essence of all teachings and I found nothing offensive in this work, and yet, that's not to say the author is a lukewarm teacher. He is not! He is a true believer and if he does not make one out of you, the reader, at the very least you will come away edified and enlightened.
January 25, 2023
If you're only going to buy one devotional type of book this year, I have no hesitation in recommending that it ought to be Plantinga's "Under the Wings of God." The author has the ability to take passages the reader assumes they are familiar with, and open them up so that the reader can see the powerful, glorious truths in them. I have never read another author with the ability to communicate as powerfully and pastorally as Plantinga. He has a deft touch, chastening when necessary, elsewhere encouraging, depending on the passage he is bringing to life, always providing an illustration or explanation that perfectly fits the point he is bringing to the fore. Reading this book will grow your understanding of the God revealed in Scripture, and help you grow in your faith and love for God
January 2, 2023
What a refreshing book of reflections. I was blown away by the depth and practical application in this book. Each of these reflections are a stand alone sermon for pastors.
I enjoyed the way Cornelius approached this reflections. Taking time to look at the scripture first to understand the context of the passage and then diving deep into the passage, was great.
I read through this rather quickly, but am ready to go back and sit with each one of the 20 passages and get more out of each one.
I would be first in line to get any more books just like this.
I enjoyed the way Cornelius approached this reflections. Taking time to look at the scripture first to understand the context of the passage and then diving deep into the passage, was great.
I read through this rather quickly, but am ready to go back and sit with each one of the 20 passages and get more out of each one.
I would be first in line to get any more books just like this.
February 22, 2023
I have seldom found daily devotionals to be of much value in the past, but this particular one by Planting is an incredible mix of pastoral, biblical, and theological themes that it proved to be one of the most important book I have read in the last 6 months. It does not need to be read like a devotional, consider a collection of some of the best articles Planting has produced. Deep, convicting, Christocentric, and full of the gospel.
December 31, 2023
Really loved this book. It is divided into 20 short chapters, which was a good way to have reflections for 20 days on diverse topics related to the Christian faith. It's very accessible and practical, and I found it personally to be very formative to me this month as I read through it.
April 21, 2023
Rich.
May 23, 2023
Twenty meditations on various Bible verses. Well written using some verses that you might not expect to be used in this way.
January 21, 2025
Twenty chapters make up a wonderful personal Bible study for a few weeks.
Humorous and insightful, of course.
Humorous and insightful, of course.
September 22, 2025
Took my time with this one. Probably a good move with devotionals. This man is a gem and I’m very grateful for his voice.
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