Jakob Kroeker | Seed | 112 pages | €5.00
How could the wealthy Shunammite woman doubt Elisha's words when her son died, having witnessed God's great deeds time and again? Why did so many Israelites perish in battle when they went out to deliver judgment on the tribe of Benjamin, even though God had given them permission to fight? Had they been mistaken? Why did Joshua lament, after the defeat at Ai, that he would have preferred to remain on the other side of the Jordan, even though God himself had entrusted him with leadership? And why did John the Baptist send his disciples to Jesus, asking if he was the one who was to come or if they should wait for someone else? He had just baptized Jesus himself and seen the Holy Spirit descend upon him in the form of a dove. Did he now doubt after all? Where did this discouragement come from?
"Discouraged Souls" by Jakob Kroeker is a very edifying book. Each chapter deals with a different biblical event and shows that even great men and women of God were discouraged. These discouraged souls included Joshua, David, John the Baptist, Elijah, the Shunammite woman, and the entire nation of Israel. The book reveals various causes of discouragement but also points the way out. At 107 pages, it is a manageable length. The book is concisely and aptly written and is easy to read. Highly recommended.
Sabine Noll
Municipality of Bielefeld