Review: Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage book cover on blue background

Pilgrimage by Lynn Austin is a book that I've been meaning to get into for years; however, I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to read it now as I'm going through the Bible chronologically. This book has been such a good accompaniment to go through as I've been reading the Word.

Many thanks to Bethany House Publishers and LibraryThing for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Thoughts content is also posted on LibraryThing.

Book Synopsis

We all encounter times when our spirit feels dry, when doubt looms.

The opportunity to tour Israel came at a good time. For months, my life has been a mindless plodding through necessary routine, as monotonous as an all-night shift on an assembly line. Life gets that way sometimes, when nothing specific is wrong but the world around us seems drained of color. Even my weekly worship experiences and daily quiet times with God have felt as dry and stale as last year's crackers. I'm ashamed to confess the malaise I've felt. I have been given so much. Shouldn't a Christian's life be an abundant one, as exciting as Christmas morning, as joyful as Easter Sunday?

With gripping honesty, Lynn Austin pens her struggles with spiritual dryness in a season of loss and unwanted change. Tracing her travels throughout Israel, Austin seamlessly weaves events and insights from the Word . . . and in doing so finds a renewed passion for prayer and encouragement for her spirit, now full of life and hope.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

This is a book that instantly transports you to the times and places of Jesus, with Lynn Austin's vivid depictions of Israel creating a wonderful travelogue. More than just relaying geographic details, Pilgrimage offers devotional thoughts interspersed with biblical accounts and cultural explanations. This was such a rich book to read because it brought every destination to life, filling in the picture to provide a greater understanding of Jewish life to readers. There are so many questions and lessons in each chapter that it reads like a diary of what the author has learnt from God on each leg of the trip.

I love that there is a prayer to round out each chapter and that there are numerous Bible verses quoted to further explain God's Word. If I should never have the opportunity to visit the Holy Land, this book is a helpful stand-in by which I can go back and reread some of the descriptions provided. This book does not read like a textbook in that it's a personal account of the author's own experiences and encounters with God, which makes it even more accessible and meaningful.

Book Summary

Format of book: 📖
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Comments

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Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available or you don't qualify for one 😊 Christian Publishers B&H Publishing Group Previously offered the B&H/Lifeway Blogger program which has since closed Availability: Professors and instructors Link: B&H Academic Book Requests Baker Publishing Group Availability: U.S. and Canadian residents Genre: Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction Imprints: Bet...