God's Timing and a Good Book

I've lost count of the number of times someone has recommended a book or given a copy to me, and I discovered that God brought that book into my life precisely in the season I needed it most. It's one reason I try to move quickly to purchase recommended books. It's also why I try to gift books to others as God prompts me or as I come across titles that have blessed me.

As a teenager with an early call to the ministry in my life, I would receive copies of ministry and missionary books from leaders in my home church. None of them knew I had placed some restrictions on my ministry in certain areas. Let's just say I had held my ground on staying close to home for ministry. During that season, a dear Sunday School teacher gave me a copy of the wonderful book Bill Drost the Pentecost. And the limitations I had tried to maintain regarding my involvement with missions and missionaries began to crumble. A few years later, the impact of that book was built upon by Bro. Jim Sleeva, my missions instructor in college. And for the first time I really accepted that the world at home and abroad was a mission field. If I purposed to fulfill my calling, I would be a missionary one way or another, in one place or another, and I must be willing to go. At that time, my involvement began with "home missions" and I started visiting new church plants and eventually accepted an invitation to serve in a home missions work in Indianapolis. That journey took me away from home and familiar territory to where I am now, pastoring the church my wife and I planted as Kentucky Missionaries over 10 years ago in Richmond.
https://pentecostalpublishing.com/p-843-bill-drost-pentecost.aspx


This past October, on the drive to Indiana, for what would be my last Earthly visit with my Dad, I began listening to C.S. Lewis's "The Weight of Glory", recommended by my wife. I didn't finish the selection of sermons and messages on the way there. I arrived at my parents and stayed by Dad's side until he passed away late that night. On the way home to get my wife and kids for Dad's funeral, I finished "The Weight of Glory." It was profound, powerful, and perfectly timed for a grieving son. A couple days later, I re-read Lewis's The Last Battle. "Higher up and further in" resounded in my soul as I longed for the Heavenly reunion the Narnia characters were experiencing.

God's timing and a good book are a powerful combination.

A couple years ago I was introduced to a classic book at the recommendation of Rev. Philip Harrelson. I'm a little embarrassed to say I had never read A Tale of  Three
Kings before that recommendation. After reading Bro. Harrelson's thoughts on the book, I quickly bought a copy. I opened it up and started reading, and didn't put it down until I was done. I finished the book in a day, through tears and with a heavy burden to live out the character trait David sought to have: "In my youth I was not an Absalom. In my old age I will not be a Saul."

The timing of that book in my life was God-ordained. Where I was at the moment in my ministry was the key time to receive and heed that message from David's life.

And again I was reminded of the power of God's timing and a good book.


I immediately rounded up as many copies of Three Kings as I could find and afford, and sent them out to pastor friends I thought would be blessed by it.

If I could encourage you in this area, I would say take the opportunity to give someone a good book. I consider it part of my ministry to do so, and my ministry has certainly been blessed and strengthened by good books shared with me. You'll find many times the book, the recipient, and the moment you give it are all being directed by God. What an honor to be able to give "a word fitly spoken" and a word fitly written when someone needs it most.

Be part of this amazing ministry of "God's Timing and a Good Book."

(Please watch for my new book review video series available soon on YouTube and other online media outlets. "God's Timing and a Good Book" will take a look at more great books, those who gave them, and the impact they had, all while introducing viewers to some titles you will want to explore and share with others. And it will be an outlet to give away some books to viewers!)