What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life [Hardcover]

Brian Zahnd (Author), Jentezen Franklin (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 2009

Nobody knew adversity like King David.
He was called and anointed to reign in life, and yet he had to find a way in God to keep form losing it all. In What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life,Brian Zahnd looks into the life of David to discover a pattern of faith we can apply to overcome life’s daunting obstacles.

In David’s story we find a timeless model for how to encounter God’s restorative power in the midst of deep tragedy. Join Brian Zahnd, and see what David did on his worst day.

You’ll see David weep but not get bitter. You’ll see him reorient his vision and regain his passion. All along the journey you’ll be reminded that God’s great work in David’s life was not an odd, one-off miracle but a pattern of faith for all who are facing the worst day of their life.
 

Editorial Reviews

Review

“My wife and I have read and reread every word in this book. It was like God’s voice to us in one of the toughest seasons in our lives. Don’t stop because it’s dark. Read this book, and follow the proven steps of a man who lost everything but lived to recover it all.”—Jentezen Franklin

From the Inside Flap

Nobody knew adversity like King David.

He was called and anointed to reign in life, and yet he had to find a way in God to keep from losing it all. In What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life, Brian Zahnd looks into the life of David to discover a pattern of faith we can apply to overcome life's daunting obstacles.

In David's story we find a timeless model for how to encounter God's restorative power in the midst of deep tragedy. Join Brian Zahnd, and see what David did on his worst day.

You'll see David weep but not get bitter. You'll see him reorient his vision and regain his passion. All along the journey you'll be reminded that God's great work in David's life was not an odd, one-off miracle but a pattern of faith for all who are facing the worst day of their life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Christian Life (February 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599797267
• ISBN-13: 978-1599797267
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Glowing Beacon of Hope, March 4, 2009

By 

Derek Vreeland (Americus, GA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life (Hardcover)

This is the book I want with me when all hell breaks loose and I am battling the worst day of my life.

I have had some difficult days, some challenging days, some tearful days, but on the worst day of my life would somebody please hand me a copy of Brian Zahnd's, What to Do on the Worst Day of your Life.

This book is more of a story than a how-to guide. Zahnd retells the biblical story of King David and the tragedy at Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:1-8, 16-20, 26). He masterfully weaves the reader into the story, so that like David, we feel the heartbreak, the disillusionment, the turn-around, the grace-infused renewal, the righteous anger, the thrill of victory, the celebration of recovery, and the proclamation of hope.

King David was having a bad day. As Zahnd tells it: David went bankrupt, had his house burned to the ground, his possessions stolen, and his entire "family kidnapped by terrorists--all in one day [author's emphasis]" (3). For sure this was a bad day, the worst day in David's life up to this point.

Zahnd's retelling of David's story gives us an encouraging template, a heart-stirring testimony of grace and hopes, so that we cannot only endure our own worst days, but reach a place of full recovery. He peppers the retelling of David's story with his own stories of struggle and celebration and he appeals time and time again to the Scripture. (There are 163 biblical references recorded in the "Notes" section in the back of the book.)

As an unfolding story itself, What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life does not offer a picture of naïve optimism or a catalyst for superficial emotionalism. This story is centered on the grace-filled message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Like David during his Ziklag experience, Zahnd explains that Jesus cried our tears, shared in our suffering, and defeated our enemies through the cross and the empty tomb. Because of God's gracious gift of redemption, we can join David in getting a word from God, reorienting our vision, regaining our passion, attacking, and recovering all.

Zahnd uses not only the imagery of "success" and "prosperity," which can so easily be misunderstood in our culture; he also uses the imagery of "beauty"and "restoration." He writes: "Beauty is the final objective of God's gracious work, and ashes seem to be His favorite medium. God is the creator of beauty and a connoisseur of all that is truly beautiful. God is an artist, His canvas is creation, and in our lives tears and ashes are often His oil and clay as a He works relentlessly to make something beautiful" (110).

According to Zahnd, God wants us to fully recover from our worst days, because salvation is "for the restoration of all things to God's original goodness" (96). We can survive our worst days with the hope of the restoration of God's original goodness for our lives. We can recover, but God will weave these "worst days" into our lives so we can rightly give to others and be sources of healing and encouragement for those who are suffering.

I highly recommend What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life. Read it before your worst day hits home. Read it on the worst day of your life and then give it to other people who are suffering during hard times.

This book is a glowing beacon of hope in the fog of uncertainty, discontent, and suffering.

Dr. Derek Vreeland

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE book to read in a difficult time, February 19, 2009

By 

LeAnn Moorhead (Altamonte Springs, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life (Hardcover)

If you've ever wondered why some people come through difficult times better and stronger and others seem to get stuck in a tailspin, this book will open your eyes. Brian Zahnd's look at the 10 steps King David went through to overcome the worst day of his life is so simple and compelling, you'll wonder how you never saw it before. I had several ah ha moments while reading this book. This is a MUST READ for anyone going through a difficult time.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A life jacket, February 19, 2009

By 

Danielle E. Tomlinson "Danielle Tomlinson" (FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life (Hardcover)

When you read this book, it may help you or someone you know going through a tough time. With many people losing their jobs, companies folding, and the price of living still rising, this is the perfect book for the perfect time. Many people are frightened right now and are wondering if they are next. If something horrible does happen, people need to know how to handle the situation and this book will take you step by step on that process. I pray that if you are going through a hard time that God will use this book to help you over come those obstacles in your life.