True Courage by Steve Farrar

Farrar uses the life of Daniel to show that God gives true courage in the midst of life's troubles. Daniel found strength in God's assurance of hope for the future. That hope is the basis for courage. “True Courage is found in a heart that believes and trusts in the living God – period.” (14) Daniel found his world turned upside down. Yet he became a man of remarkable influence for some seventy years.
Daniel had three traits: humility, trust, and hope. They were woven into his character and decision making. Daniel knew God and His ways and had maturity and faith beyond his years. Daniel counted on the sovereignty of God and it was his confidence in God that gave him True Courage.
Farrar uses Nebuchadnezzar as an example of our pride causing us to learn our lessons the hard way. Farrar encourages us to have a teachable spirit.
God delivered Daniel and his friends and Farrar says, “Know this: It is a slight thing for the Lord to deliver you.” (183)
Even late in Daniel's life, at around age eighty, he was still razor sharp, interpreting the writing on the wall. Farrar notes, “God always has a leader prepared and ready for the day of crisis.” (197) “God always has a plan in place to replace human failure.” (199)
Farrar ends his by showing Daniel as a man of prayer, waiting on God's deliverance.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I can foresee that his statement, “It is a slight thing for the Lord to deliver you,” (183) could be devastating to someone who has not been “delivered.” If it is such a “slight” thing for the Lord... I think Farrar has taken something very complicated – God's plans for each person's life – and made “slight” of it.
Another aspect of Farrar's writing that I found very distracting is his strange sense of humor. He calls Nebuchadnezzar “Neb.” He likens Belshazzar's feast to an Academy Award night. He writes of the “SAT scores” of Belshazzar's wise men. (194) He speaks of the Medo-Persian “Navy SEALs.” (210)  Here is a totally unnecessary attempt to be humorous: “So you've got to pay attention here. Ugbaru and Gubaru were not Saddam Hussein's two sons.” (210) Here is another attempt, Farrar writing of Judah fearing the Assyrians: “So they cashed in their IRAs and 401(k)s and went down to Egypt...” (223)
I found Farrar's writing so quirky, with attempts at lightheartedness in the midst of serious topics, it detracted from the message. I would have preferred an editor to have encouraged Farrar to keep his writing at a higher level, one equal to the weight of his message.

David C Cook, 226 pages.

I received a copy of this book from The B&B Media Group on behalf of the publisher for the purpose of this review.

See: www.stevefarrar.com 

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