My Forsyth Magazine Nov/Dec 2020

BOOK REVIEW
A Complete Guide
to Godly Wisdom
By Richard Van Yperen
Review by Jacqueline Thompson Graves
So, first off, let me be completely honest. When I first received
this book, that word Complete in its title threw me a punch. This is
the complete guide to God’s wisdom? I mean, I don’t think even the
Bible itself would claim to be the complete guide, just what our tiny
minds can comprehend this side of Heaven. So I opened the book with
apprehension, read it with critical eyes.
The book searches the first nine Psalms for wisdom, seeking
instruction formatted as talks to “my son”. The Psalms writer is that
character we all know as the Wisest Man Ever, he who threatened to cut a
baby in half, thereby discovering which woman laying claim to the infant
was its true mother. “Don’t kill it!” one woman screamed. “Give it to her.
Let the baby live!” “No, cut it in half, that’s fair,” snarled woman #2, and
wise Solomon discerned the first woman who was concerned with the
baby’s health and future to be the real mom. It is this guru’s writings who
Van Yperen culls for his book’s content.
In the forward Van Yperen discusses his men’s study group who met
at 6:30am every Friday for years. They called themselves the “Wise Guys”
because they spent so much time reading and talking about Proverbs,
conversations that shaped the book.
Van Yperen’s background is in teaching and administration so his
book is well-written and presented in a format easy to read and use.
Often times, perhaps to save space, Bible study books give references
for Scripture passages, but don’t print out the text. They expect you to
have your Bible, reading it alongside the study guide. That is fine, but if
you just have your book and are depending upon your phone’s Bible app,
which doesn’t work for whatever reason, you might be expecting to work
on your Bible study, but can’t. I like that this guide incorporates the Bible
text into the teaching materials.
Each chapter offers questions for meditating or journaling. However,
the book’s best use may be in a group setting. There is an expanded set
of discussion questions at the back of the book (and I almost missed it)
to accompany each chapter’s teaching. Studying on your own is good;
sharing with and receiving insights from others is even better.
Van Yperen’s queries are thought-provoking, not always what you
expect. Consider this one: Read John 1:1-3. What are the similarities in
this New Testament passage compared with Proverbs 8:22-31?
I enjoyed the book and the study materials. Van Yperen is a local
author living here in Cumming, GA. Maybe you know him. (Maybe you
are one of the “Wise Guys”!) I do know this: you can consume a lot of
media these days whether via your smartphone, TV, computer or even
your watch, but chances are, none of what you see or read today is going
to make you wiser. It might make you madder or more depressed or give
you a giggle if you seek out stupid cat videos, but how much wisdom
have you gotten from your media input lately? I have been consciously
choosing to lessen my screen time and spend more time doing soulenriching
things—working and playing in the outdoors, reading,
meditating, even baking.
So, yes, I would recommend this book to you, especially if you are a
Christian looking for a Bible study guide (better yet, a group looking for a
new study to embark upon). I would also suggest Van Yperen take the word
Complete out of the title. A Guide to Godly Wisdom. Yep, that’s about right.
I have a signed copy of the book to give away. To
enter the drawing, visit my book review blog and
drop your name in the hat there. There is no cost
and the book will be shipped to you at no expense.
www.thebookbuffet.wordpress.com
A Complete Guide to Godly Wisdom by Richard Van Yperen
Published by Christian Faith Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-64458-574-0
Available at Amazon.com
Jacqueline Thompson Graves lives and writes in Cumming, GA
where she is currently reading a new book on the deck and has a
nice pot roast in the slow cooker. She invites you to engage at her
book review blog: www.thebookbuffet.wordpress.com
22 MYFORSYTHMAG.COM VOLUME X | ISSUE 3