Customer Reviews

God Knows My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Life is tough. It is relentless. Human beings are pretty high maintenance, and survival can be exhausting at times. But we are called to do more than survive-we are called to THRIVE! So let's run our race with perservance, take up our cross, and follow Jesus, telling others about Him and living in a way that honors Him, serves Him, and gives glory to Him.

In this book written by Beth Redman, this opening to a chapter stuck in my mind the most. Beth shares the most hurtful experiences in her life, namely utter rejection by her earthly father, and shows that God held her hand through it all. He gave her the grace, and strength to continue to live for Him.

With chapter titles such as:

God Knows My Name

God Knows My Past

God Shapes My Character

God Sees My Choices

God Has Not Forgotten Me

God Is My Helper

God Is My Defender

God Is My Restorer

And a full study guide for each chapter, it's easy to see that this book would make a perfect group study. I was most impressed with how Beth shows compassion, not bitterness, toward her past and those who hurt her. I loved how she shared that God was with her, even during the darkest times. She shares from an episode of "The Dog Whisperer" that a man had been attacked by a dog in his younger years, and never forgot it. His children wanted a dog as a pet, but he couldn't get the memory out of his head. Cesar Milan spoke to him and said,

My friend, what is hold you is the memory, but the incident is gone. You are allowing that memory to live on with you every single day. We have to break the power of the memory and allow you to live in freedom. It is over!

Cesar went on to take this man and helped him face his fear of dogs. And Beth shows how God restores our memories.

The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Isa. 65:17

This book will not leave you feeling the same! I am going to recommend that my girlfriends and I do this for a study!!! Thank you, Beth, for the opportunity to read this book!

One of the most amazing Christian musicians is worship leader Matt Redman. Most people don't know Matt's wife, Beth, writes many of those sings with him. She is also an author. Her latest book is entitled `God Know My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved.'

Here is the synopsis of this book:

Do You Know How Much You Matter to God? In this powerful and deeply vulnerable book, Beth Redman writes to pass along a message that changed her life - that the God who made us also understands us intimately and proclaims our worth by naming us and calling our name. He hears our cries and reaches out to help us and fight for us. He knows our past but is already hard at work shaping our future - helping us, defending us, and restoring the damage life has done. And no matter what others do, our heavenly Father will never, ever leave or forget us.

Drawing on Scripture and her own experience, Redman invites us to explore the revolutionary implications of being loved by a God who knows our name. And she invites us to call on His name as well - to respond to His heart and love Him as He has loved us from the beginning.

Here is the biography of this author:

Beth Redman is an evangelist, Dove-Award-winning songwriter, and author whose books include Beautiful, Soul Sister, and Blessed Be Your Name, which was co-authored with her husband, Matt. Recently, Beth and Matt received the Dove Award for the Worship Song of the Year for "Blessed Be Your Name," which they wrote together. Their combined song-writing skills also produced the popular worship songs "Let My Words Be Few," "Facedown," and "You Never Let Go." A native Brit, Beth currently lives in Atlanta, where she serves as part of a team leading Passion City Church with her husband, Matt. They have five children.

Here is the book trailer for this God-honoring book:

[...]

Beth opens her first chapter, entitled `God Knows My Name,' with this paragraph:

Our parents are often broken people wearing big learner's plates, like drivers in training, when we arrive in their worlds. We shouldn't judge them harshly, but sometimes the parents we need to love us most can hurt us and let us down. (p, 21)

She then went on to explain her situation growing up:

My mum was a true saint when I was growing up, and my closest friend. She brought me to church and taught me about God. In public my dad seemed the perfect father, but in private he struggled with anger...and we suffered terrible violence. In my very late teens, my parents separated. I don't think we should place our parents' mistakes or faults under the microscope and blame them for all our problems and baggage. God teaches us to forgive, and He gives us the grace to do so. He enables us to rise above the harshest of circumstances and to begin again. He rewrites generations of brokenness to give us an incredible hope and future with Jesus. (p. 22)

She goes on to share that she was having some health issues during her third pregnancy, and her doctor asked her to contact her living relatives to get information on her medical history. She contacted her father, with whom she'd had sporadic contact in her adulthood:

I contacted each family member and very nervously sent an email to my dad. He wrote back immediately, and still to this day I cannot believe his parting words.

He wrote that, yes, there was liver disease in the family, and also cancer, and he hoped I had both.

"Beth," he wrote, "you deserve to suffer, because suffering would make someone as egotistical and vile as you a better person."

Wow.

He also threw in some awful comments about Matt and my children that need not be repeated. The email ended with him telling me I was cut out of his will and he had instructed his solicitor [lawyer] never to disclose his death or where he would be buried. While I was waiting for news of my liver condition, my earthly father had just cursed me and condemned my life. (p. 23)

I can so relate to that. I personally grew up without a father (my parents divorced before I was born, and I never met him; he has since passed away). Her email also reminded me of an email I received from a family member over three years ago that was so vile and angry, it still affects me to this day when I think about it (which I try not to do very often)...

Beth reacted in this way to that email:

I cried out to my God...my true, amazing Father, my heavenly, forever Father, the One who knows all the failures and shortcomings and yet has never ever rejected me. He wrote my name on the palm of His hands and He stretched out His arms, and as He was viciously nailed to a cross, He separated me from my sin forever and loved me enough to die unjustly. He walked a journey of horrific agony - pleading, being taunted - and He carried my cross, my death, my past, and my sin. His love was enough as He cried out, "It is finished!" Everything I ever need in life is now accessible and available to me through His death. (p. 24)

Hallelujah for that news!

Beth had succumbed to some sins in her early adult years. When she first met Matt, she was concerned about how he'd accept her. She was amazed at his graciousness:

Eventually, I talked to Matt about my fears, and he totally blew me away by saying so gently, "If Jesus sees you as pure, stunning, and spotless, how and why would I possibly see you any differently?" The past is just that - the past. When Matt sees me, he sees a beautiful new creation made whole and free by Jesus. I feel so loved and free. (p. 41)

What a wonderful example of unconditional love!

We need to let go of our past:

I want to encourage you in the midst of whatever painful memory hold you or rob you: God is calling you to look up and see the rainbow. It may seem insensitive or frustrating to think outside of or above your pain, but that rainbow is an incredible reminder for you that God is good, a new day is coming, eventually the rain will stop, and beauty and promise will reign over all your life!

Song of Solomon 2:11-21 says, "See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth, the season of singing has come." Grieve, mourn, heal, and receive the amazing power of prayer. All those things are healthy and right. Lean on Jesus and allow Him to free you from the memories, the trauma, or the regret. When we hand over our questions, our struggles, and our bad memories to Jesus, they are gone, buried, removed, and separated from us forever. (p. 49)

We need to stop the judging and start the loving:

Yes, it is terrible when a brother or sister falls from a blessed life of calling. It is terrible because that fall is the plan of the Enemy to kill and steal and destroy, not the plan of your loving heavenly Father, which is to bless, prosper, and give hope and a future. When we hear of such things and watch our friends fall painfully into sin and despair, let's gently call them back to repentance, not tell them how dreadful they are. When someone hurts you or is inconsiderate , let's not stand in judgment and condemnation. It is for Jesus alone to judge. Jesus calls us to love one another. Let's not be yet another voice of accusation or condemnation. Be the voice of love and forgiveness, urging others to repent and return to Jesus. (p. 53)

God knows the desires of our heart, and we need to entrust them to Him:

God sees the dreams of our heart sometimes without us even telling Him. There are things I dreamed of that God has fulfilled over and above my wildest hopes, and there are dreams and desires I've presented and requested, and the answer seems to be, for no and maybe forever, a no. We have to trust Him and love Him enough to be grateful for each gift of grace, and be patient and humble when we wait. He wants us to commit each day, decision, and thought to Him. Then He can use us in the most unique way for the kingdom and for His glory, in a way that we would never have been able to make happen ourselves. (p. 68)

I love this godly advice:

God makes everything beautiful in His perfect time. Put your faith and trust in God, and ask Him to shut the wrong doors and open the right ones. When we let God take control, we allow Him to work miracles of great joy and power in our lives.

When the things we want and dream about don't come to pass, we must choose to fight against becoming bitter or angry, and instead deliberately lay all our plans before the Lord. Our walk is to be God-centered, not me-centered. May your daily aim be to make the most of every opportunity to be faithful and obedient, to seek His face and His path in your life, and to resist the temptation to make things happen yourself. (pp. 71-72)

I need that reminder every day.

And we need to make sure we are listening to the Voice of God, not the enemy:

It is worth checking our hearts and minds and asking ourselves, Whose voice am I listening to? Are we persevering in our faith and doing the things we know feed our souls and our faith? Being faithful is like being fit - you're got to put in the training if you want to be fit for the race. Staying in shape means going to the gym or working out regularly, and if you stop doing it, you'll get out of shape! (p. 102)

And we need to remember where our strength comes from:

The secret of my strength is the Lord.

Clearly and quite beautifully, the Bible assures us that Jesus, by the presence of the Holy Spirit, is always near and His ears are open when we cry, Help! Amazingly, He responds as our personal deliver. I'm so grateful for the times I have no one to rely on and my self is not enough, because it is in those moments when I call out, Help! that I rediscover the Giver of live. (pp. 117-118)

I am so glad this is true. I have been trying to not be alone this week, and am making appointments to be with people, as I grieve the loss of our sweet pup Toby this week. But one friend had to cancel yesterday, and I had a sweet time with the Lord in her stead. It is nice to know He will always be there.

Beth also reminds us that we do not control our own lives, whether we want to or not:

For whatever reason, they [women] like - even need - to be in firm control over their lives. Independence is healthy, but using our energy and strength to control situations without God is not. Our own strength is simply not enough. In the areas that we have no control, it can actually be easier to say, "Lord, I trust you," because there is nothing else do! How wonderful to know that He is ready to step in and lead us away from trying to do everything with our own effort. Even in the small details of our lives, we need to recognize Jesus as Lord, which means He is the boss. You may not want a boss - and if that's the case, your pride could cause a fall. But God wants us to realize sooner rather than later that we cannot (and weren't designed to) go through life on our own. (p. 123)

This is her encouragement out of the last chapter, `God Is My Restorer':

Whatever happens to you, Jesus is able to restore to you all that the locusts have eaten. Everything the Enemy took, all that circumstances have inflicted upon you, the times you have messed up - Jesus can recover everything stolen and lost in your life. (p. 158)

This book includes a Study Guide at the back of the book; it consists of a Scripture Reading, Discussion Questions, and a Prayer for each chapter. There is also a web page link to a beautiful song, "God Knows My Name," written by Beth exclusively for this book.

I was so encouraged by this book. Beth clearly has been through some trials in her life, yet she has chosen the high road that the Lord would have her travel rather than the low road that the enemy would have loved to seen her travel down. I intend to keep this book close at hand when I need to be reminded how much the Lord love me and how He has given His all for me.

This book was published by David C. Cook and provided by the B & B Media Group for review purposes.

Reviewed by Andrea Schultz - Ponderings by Andrea - [...]

"God Knows My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved" by Beth Redman is an amazing read that had me both in tears and just feeling strengthen in my journey and walk with our Heavenly Father.

A powerful, vulnerable and encouraging book, "God Knows My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved" is one of those books, I wouldn't recommend unless you have several boxes of tissues on hands for it will leave you in tears of joy and heartwarming encouragement that YOU ARE LOVED and our Father does not and will not ever forget you.

192 pages and just filled with the prescence of our Father, what touched me about, "God Knows My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved", was the personal stories of Beth's own life that she shared and the strength she found in her church community and our Heavenly Father that helped her grow and become the person our Heavenly Father called her to be, but also a reminder too, for those who feel that they could never move past tragic or sometimes shameful pasts that our Father, is much bigger and stronger than our circumstances.

The first chapter was difficult to get past due to the tears and just the feelings of remembering that our Father is always a solid rock that we sometimes don't give Him all the credit that is really due of Him.

"God Knows My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved" just reminded us that sometimes we don't get the "earthly love" we crave but we have a deeper and stronger love that is always there for us.

If you are struggling with difficult circumstances or just maybe you are going through that valley in your life as we all sometimes do, I recommend, "God Knows My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved".

I would like to extend a heartfelt "Thank you" to Beth Redman and her publisher for sending me a copy of "God Knows My Name" to review for them. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me.

Beloved songwriter, Beth Redman, has penned a wonderful book: "God Knows My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved". The eight short chapters are laced with scripture and encouragement for the battles we face in life. Redman offers valuable advice to keep the reader who puts this into practice from becoming "spiritually flabby".

My favorite part is the study guide that's included in the back of the book. It contains scripture readings and discussion questions that would be appropriate for use with a small study group or as a solo quiet time.

Beth Redman says, "I want to share an amazing story of restoration, a story of hope that we all have and the truth that I pray will fill you with joy, freedom, and power! I want to shout out that God heals, restores His plans for you and utterly adores you! If we can truly breathe in that truth, we become free to live, free to give and free to love and accept both others and ourselves. Then, as you breathe in that truth out into a hurting and broken world that desperately needs this message of Go, the father's heart for us, God is glorified, and lives are changed and transformed by Him."

I was drawn in from the start--the message in the beginning paragraphs were gripping, hopeful and refreshing. I'm so thankful to have received a review copy of such an inspiring story of Beth Redman's journey from shattered to wholeness and how her personal relationship with God grew and developed into something very special. She talked about being filled with truth that transforms in her journey to wholeness. This was powerful stuff!!

Beth says, "Ultimately, we are not defined by what others think of us when they learn our names, or what our earthly parents say about us. Instead, we find definition in the authority, power and compassion of the God who loves us. It's time we hear his voice the loudest." Amen to that Beth! This book wasn't preachy, but simple, honest and practical, filled with stories taken from her life and from scripture to back up the truth that has set her free.

This was a very inspiring book written from the heart of Beth Redman's personal encounters with God and the realities of life. It was great to be reminded and encouraged again about how God feels about us! I was encouraged by how Beth shared stories from her past and how she talked about still having days when she still feels forgotten rejected and misunderstood. She says that these feelings are a way the enemy attempts to make us feel anonymous, illegitimate and unfit to be recognized by our Heavenly Father. "God bestows great worth and significance upon his children, and it is within his grace alone we will find meaning and purpose!" Beth says.

This book is short, simple and packs a powerful punch of hope, redemption and love. I highly recommend it! It's made me want to read other books by her!

Nora St.Laurent

The Book Club Network [....]

Finding Acceptance, Love, and Worth

Redman helps women find their true worth in the eyes of the Father who knows their names

Do you sometimes get lost in your daily struggles and forget that God loves you, that He loves you unconditionally, no matter what? Sometimes we need a reminder and this book is just the one to do that! A quick read, that will provoke your thoughts and give you strength.

This is a very encouraging book as Beth Redman shares stories that have helped her grow she helps the reader learn to let go, let go of the past, and remember that God is the one who truly controls our life. It's not always easy to let someone else take over for us, but God's hands are always open and willing to hold us, to carry us through the good and the bad, and this book is an amazing book full of encouragement.

I love that this book has a study guide included, this may be a book that is small in size, but by no means is it lacking in delivery. This is a book that will get passed among family and friends and would definitely make a great gift!

View the book trailer here:

[...]

**I received a complimentary copy of this book to review from the B&B Media Group. I was not compensated in any other way for my honest opinion.

I love when a non-fiction book comes along that really speaks to me and as I'm reading it I can think of people to recommend it to. God Knows My Name is just such a book. I have actually done a lot of study on this particular subject, what makes this book worthy of recommendation above some others I've read is how easy to read and understand it is. It clearly lays out who you are in Christ and what you mean to Him backed by lots of great scriptures and stories all by an amazing woman of God. I would recommend this to new Christians or those who have been Christians most of their lives - it will benefit all of us.

There is something about someone remembering and calling us by our name that makes us feel special, isn't it?

I remember when our daughter started kindergarten. She was attending a charter school in MS. We were moving to the area for my husband to begin a ministry opportunity. It was a little nerve wracking not only moving to a new area, but our firstborn beginning her first year of school. We wanted to make sure we had her in a good school. When my husband and I took her that first day, our family was met at the door by the principal of the school. She spoke to my daughter and said, "Good morning Cecily. Welcome to Stern!"

She called my daughter by name and I knew we had her in the right place!

Beth Redman, wife of Matt Redman, has written a book, God Knows My Name, where she reminds us that God knows all about us. Here are the chapter titles:

* God Knows My Name

* God Knows My Past

* God Shapes My Character

* God Sees My Choices

* God Has Not Forgotten Me

* God Is My Helper

* God Is My Defender

* God Is My Restorer

Beth writes in a very friendly and conversational style. As you read this book, you feel as if you are having sweet fellowship over lunch with a long time and trusted friend.

Here is an excerpt from the chapter "God Shapes My Character" where Beth speaks about developing a beautiful character, the place for humility in our lives, submitting to God, trusting God with the desires of our hearts and God directing our paths:

"When we acknowledge God in all our ways, we listen to His words, obey His commands, and value His thoughts over and above our own. We submit our desires to Him and deliberately choose to walk in His ways. Then as the Lord sees our choices, how we choose to live, and our choice to honor Him in all we do, He will make our paths straight and bless us. The Bible is clear that the Lord directs us in His path if we trust Him and are open to His direction. This might surprise you, but God is better at working out our lives than we are! He knows what we need, He knows that we are weak and frail, but He longs to bless us, in the appointed time, in His perfect way. I have found over the years that sometimes a no is as good for my soul as a yes. A no forces me to increase my trust. When I am seeking Him for abundance, sometimes on reflection it seems His no was an amazing way to increase my dependence. Trusting God does not mean simply waiting around passively for a master plan to fall into our laps. Jesus clearly teaches us that we are to pray about everything we need, and today that may well have as much to do with decisions and career as our daily bread."

The book is easy to read and Beth is lighthearted and funny at times. I was a little uncomfortable with the way she treated the issue of repentance, feeling her handling of it was a bit too lighthearted. At one point she finally refers to repentance as simply telling God you are sorry. Repentance is much more than just telling God you are sorry.

Overall the book was helpful. There is a study guide included which would make it excellent to use in one's devotional time or in a small group study.

I received a copy of this book from B&B Media Group in exchange for my honest review.

God Knows My Name: Never Forgotten, Forever Loved by Beth Redman is a phenomenal book. The entire purpose of the book is to teach us "that the God who made us also understands us intimately and proclaims our worth by naming us and calling our name." It is evident that Beth has learned this message for herself. She shares bits about her past that expose the hurt she endured and ultimately how the amazing power of God has transformed her life. Every point she makes is from Scripture, which makes the book even stronger.

The primary points Redman makes are evident in the chapter titles: God Knows My Name, God Knows My Past, God Shapes My Character, God Sees My Choices, God Has Not Forgotten Me, God Is My Helper, God Is My Defender, and God Is My Restorer.

At times the book seems a bit simplistic. However, after reading the entire book, I feel like each word is a product of Beth's journey to restoration and is completely heartfelt. The simplicity makes it seem more possible, if that makes sense.

I was thoroughly challenged and encouraged by this book. Several times I thought, "This is just what I need right now."

A complete study guide in the back makes this ideal for group study or for more in-depth individual study.

I received a free copy of this book from The B&B Media Group in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Do you ever feel like you aren't worthy of love, especially from our Heavenly Father? I have. And I found the perfect book to help me see that God not only loves me, He knows my name. He knows everything about me, and He still loves me. That is a powerful feeling, and it's what I remembered after reading Beth's book.

This book is wonderfully created. Beth Redman is fabulous at using her life experiences and Biblical insights to help us better understand both ourselves, and what God feels for us. Beth helps us to remember that no matter how unworthy or forgotten we feel, there is ALWAYS someone GREATER than us, who knew us first, saw our past, and shows us our future, if we just remember HIS name too, and call it out.

Though this book is rather small, it would make for a wonderful one to keep close on hand always. I highly recommend this, with 4 stars, to all. It will help to give you peace in your heart and let you know GOD KNOWS YOUR NAME!!!