Customer Reviews

The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions

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The author states the point of the book early when he writes, "I firmly believe that the Land Between - that space where we feel lostor lonely or deeply hurt - is fertile ground for our spiritual transformation and for God's grace to be revealed in magnificent ways. But in addition to being the bearer of mercy, I also have the privilige of challenging God's people to holiness, and while the Land Between is prime real estate for faith transformation, it is also the space where we can grow resentful, bitter, and caustic if our responses are unguarded.

The wilderness where faith can thrive is the very desert where it can dry up and die if we are not watchful." (pg.19)

The example used throughout the book of the Land Between is that of the Israelites in the desert. Manion cites numerous scriptures and includes an excellent section on discipline, specifically disciplining children. He mentions how the background of the proverbs was an agrarian setting, and uses Proverbs 23:13 to make several excellent points.

Chapter 6, The Art of Crying Out, is maybe the best in the entire book.

The one problem with the book is that it tends to be repetitive.. "As we have seen," "Let me repeat," "To repeat," "Let's look again," "As we have already discussed."

Overall a good resource for anyone going through a hard transition in life.

The sub-title of the book says it all: Finding God in difficult transitions. Jeff Manion is not dealing with a hard day. The Land Between deals with gut wrenching periods of time. This book ranks as a must read. If you are in traveling in the land between, you're crazy to ignore what Jeff is communicating. Strong words but true, and coming from a guy in such a transition.

'The last thing we want to hear is another book we should read when in difficult transitions. This is a book we should read. Why? 1) Israel made costly mistakes that can be avoided. 2) We need to remember that God is not merely with us, He is intimately at work in us. 3) It is not a lassie tale of hard times turned good. The Land Between lays out the road map for our hard journey. More than the insane details of our challenges, we must embrace God. The feeling I got after reading The Land Between was calm resolve. Not the emotion I expected.

This is a book many of us have been waiting for for a long time. No matter what your current struggles, Manion weaves a path that connects with readers both in a modern context, and also through a Biblical connection back to the struggles of the Isrealites coming out of Egypt -- waiting for the promised land (arn't we all!).

Jeff Manion is a compelling speaker and pastor, and this book does justice to one of his popular sermon themes. I attend his church, Ada Bible, in Grand Rapids, MI. My husband and I look forward to his sermon's each week. This book is a treat for those who have connected with Jeff through his live or archived sermon's found on [...]. He is known for his ability to make the Bible relevent today, and this book is no exception. It's definately worth checking out. (In fair disclosure, I work for the publisher of this book, Zondervan).

This book could not have come at a more pertinent time for me. Over this past year, the Lord had been speaking to me about the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land. (it has become incredible relevant in my life) Too many Christians want to skip over the New Testament, believing that it just isn't relevant in their day to day lives . . . "The Land Between" changes that entirely! Jeff Manion will bring the New Testament alive to you in ways you never imagined AND his message (or God's message) will dramatically change your life.

First and foremost, Jeff Manion is a fantastic writer, teacher, and man after God's own heart. I truly hope to see more books published by him. The message in "The Land Between" will walk you through any trial or transition you will face in life. The message will strengthen you as you struggle through unthinkable circumstances . . . learning to choose faith instead of fear. You will find the assurance that God's eye is on every detail of your situation and there is nothing that is beyond His control. You'll find that in the "desert" of your life, there is an abundance of God's love, mercy, and grace to carry you through to the "Promised Land." (the place of deliverance)

The greatest message within this book is that "God is up to something" in your life just as He was in the lives of the Israelites. Through "The Land Between" you'll come to a place in your faith of realizing "God knows what He's doing." You'll be strengthened through YOUR transition time as you learn to trust in the One who takes you on a journey, in order to draw you nearer to Him. Don't miss out!

*I was provided this book for free through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book so much, even though I sometimes cried while reading it. I found it so helpful, I don't even know where to begin.

The Land Between is that land we are caught in without choice, when tragedy or unforseen circumstances strike. This is the land we find ourselves in while we grieve, gripe or even deny our new existence. The land Between has many stepping stones to cross as we make choices about how to react to this new landscape that we never chose to inhabit.

The author gives examples of old testament circumstances, one example being the descendants of Jacob coming out of Egypt after generations of slavery and their reactions to this "Land Between." There is much we can learn from them about difficult transitions and the need for spiritual growth, no matter where we are in our journey.

Like I said, sometimes I cried when I read this book, probably because I've had a rough year. This book really made me confront and accept the ultimate goodness of God, no matter what happens to us. It made me realize how we ultimately make our own choices about how to react to this strange, new landscape we are in. It made me realize we cannot isolate ourselves from the one who is ultimate goodness. It made me realize that sometimes we look back and find bad circumstances can really be God's blessings in disguise!

I totally disagree with the reviewer who said this book was too "repetitive." Believe me, I NEEDED this repetition to "get it." Folks stuck in The Land Between need reminders, and lots of them, to help cope and react in ways that are beneficial...remember the wandering Israelites needing constant reinforcement to trust God?

I am very grateful that I belong to the Amazon Vine program and was able to receive this book to review. I never would have heard of it otherwise. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

This book is highly recommended for EVERYONE, because life happens. There's no escaping it.

Highly, highly recommended.

Jeff Manion's book "The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions" is written in a simple conversational style similar to a sermon. As such it is easily read and meant to convince and change behavoir rather than display theological expertise or eloquent language or presentation. I found it easier to read when I thought of how Manion would have preached this as a sermon series. Manion uses the Israelites wilderness story and some of his own struggles such as the death of his mother and a time of church decline when he was a young pastor to show the importance of being faithful to God during difficult times. Interestingly Manion doesn't attempt to give an explicit theological explanation of why his mother died when he was a teenager. Instead he recognizes her loss as a key factor in how he became who he is. Manion clearly identifies the difficult times in our lives as opportunities to to either turn to God, learn and make the best we can of our lives or spiral downward into bitterness. He illustrates this principle with his own and other's stories with the Israelites in the desert providing multiple examples of "What not to do!"

Manion is the pastor of Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids Michigan. You can listen to and download the audio for his sermon series on this book at the church website.

Jim Manion's The land between (2010: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI; ISBN 978-0-310-32998-5) combines a mid-life pastor's reflections on early losses and difficult transitions with an exposition of the wilderness narratives in Exodus.

[Five stages of adjustment] Difficult transitions, like those due to losses of health, relationship, or employment, may include five stages...

1. complaint: resentment, bitterness, and feeling sorry for myself

2. meltdown: discouragement, sadness, and agony

3. provision: someone alongside, comfort from God, temporary relief

4. discipline: endurance, challenge, correction, consequences

5. growth: learning from pain and loss, incremental change, transformational movement

[Quick take] Jim Manion has had some hard transitions, including the loss of his mom in a tragic accident as a child, which was followed by a series of difficult moves. Now, preaching in a community in Michigan faced with job losses and economic challenges, as well as every other sort of challenge, he draws from his own and his community's transitions to understand the Exodus journey through the wilderness, and from the wilderness journey to understand our own difficult transitions in 17 short chapters drawn from 15 sermons. As you might guess, difficult transitions are not easy at the time, but they can be survived, and even transformational, if God uses them to change us into better followers along the way.

[Commentary] When I picked up Manion's book, it came as a gift, with a good recommendation.

"What I struggle with is why God allows pain in my life? We don't choose pain and brokenness but we will all go through it. That's the `Land Between'.... I didn't choose this book because I wanted a good story.... I chose it because...I needed to understand how God shapes me and prepares me through trials, brokenness, and pain. And I needed to learn how to trust God more. [DW, 2010]"

Since I both am in transition, with some great losses, and I come alongside others in difficult transitions, I came to the book looking for a deeper look. I read it from front to back. In hindsight, this book is better digested as it was written--a collection of meditations, delivered one at a time, to people who need to stop, reflect, and go back to their daily challenges.

In a lot of ways, wasn't that also the challenge of the wilderness journey in Exodus?

One caution I have: wilderness journeys and difficult transitions are not justified by their outcomes. To take Manion's toughest example, his mom's sudden and untimely death was not made a good thing because Manion ended up becoming a fine (and content) preacher and pastor. It was still a terrible loss. In fact, I have read elsewhere that such losses during our junior high/middle school years are some of the most disruptive in our journeys.

[Conclusion] So read this book when you're ready to work through grief and losses, not when you just need a good cry! Also, my suggestion is that you take it in small chunks, react openly and honestly to what you experience, and, if at all possible, process these chunks with a good friend or group of friends in your journey.

About a year ago, I went through the DVD/Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer called One In A Million and it was just what I needed at the time. It made me realize that there was a reason for the trials and struggles I had experienced the previous year. As I have just come through the hardest year of my marriage ever, I was looking for more books that would help me deal with the trials I had been experiencing. So I was looking very forward to reading The Land Between by Jeff Manion.

Through reading Manion's book, I was once again reminded that God has a purpose for each of our lives and that even though He does not like to see His people sad and hurting, He will always have a reason for bringing us through the wilderness.

With a very easy to read and understand manner, Manion uses real-life experiences and sound Biblical references to show us how to respond when we experience the trials and tribulations we do. I know that without my faith in God I don't know how I would have made it through all I have in the last six years. Between illness, infertility, a sick baby, a death of several family members and most recently, marriage issues, I have come to realize that these trials have only come to make me stronger in my relationship with God. Although difficult, I am so glad to have experienced what I have. It has made me a stronger woman, wife, and mom after His Heart!

The Land Between has been a welcome read for me and the conversational way with which Manion writes was so incredibly encouraging. Just like Shirer, Manion states throughout his book, God allows the difficult times so that we will be drawn closer to Him.

Here are a couple of quotes that resonated with me as I read The Land Between:

"The very experience we wish to avoid can grow the very crop we most desperately need. The land we least desire may produce the fruit we most desire - if we will let it, if we can turn toward God with open hearts as Moses did rather than turn away from God in bitterness as the Israelites did. Whether we will be Moses or the Israelites will rest in part on what we have been doing prior to our Land Between - in particular, on what spiritual habits we have been developing along the way." (p. 169)

"It is in saying yes to God again and again when little seems at stake that we prepare our hearts to say yes to God when everything is at stake." (p. 174)

Finally, the book concludes with a study guide that can be used both individually or in a group setting. I have not gone through it as yet, but it is one that will be doing at some point this year.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is dealing with a difficult life experience right now! A powerful read that will change you forever!

I heard the author speak on this subject so wanted to get the book. If you are going through a dry place in your life or know someone who is, buy and read this book. It was a fast read, but there is plenty of meat there to go more indepth.

This book could not have come at a better time in my life and in society. Every day things happen that knock us off our feet- divorce, unemployment, cancer, car accidents, etc. In this book, Jeff shows us how God can use these periods of uncertainty to strengthen our faith and shape us for the future. He skillfully parallels the story of the Israelites in the desert to our periods of hardship including the doubts, complaints, and struggles to hold on. However, he also shows us that this period is a time where our hearts are fertile for transformation and growth. What an encouragement to so many! His sermons and teachings are also worth checking out through Ada Bible Church. Thank you Jeff for a great book and leading us by example!