Inspiring devotional on the character of God

I was attending a writer's conference, and a publisher said that books often sell well because of marketing and famous authors, not because of the quality of the books. Someone asked the publisher to name a book that did not sell well but was such a quality book that he was glad it was published. The publisher said, "Yes, the book is Lord, Show Me Your Glory by Ethel Herr."
The book was out of print, so I ordered it from amazon.com. I'm glad I did.
I spent the year of 2008 going through this devotional (I finished a month early because I read ahead). A wonderful journey it was. The book is divided into 52 chapters to be used as 52 weeks of devotions. But each "Week" actually has two or three qualities of God to study, so it really amounts to about two or three devotionals for each week. For example, Week Four is a devotional on God is Carpenter, Potter, and a Working God, Week Twelve is on God as Living Bread and Manna, and Week Twenty is on Discipliner, Teacher/Master and Rabbi. You get the idea.
Herr has a very descriptive writing style. For example, in Week Eleven she describes God's omniscience by saying, "grace without God's omniscience would be as elusive as a hollow wind whistling through the broken window panes of an empty church" (p. 72). She also has keen insights into the character of God. In Week Eighteen, she says this about God as Resurrection and the Life: "So, when He chooses to let our dreams die so He can give us a resurrection rather than a healing, we sometimes feel abandoned" (p. 114). Each section lists scripture readings for further meditation on that particular quality of God. I found that looking up those scriptures was almost as enriching as the text of her book.
The experience of going through this book will help you understand the character of God in a powerful way. If you are looking for a practical devotional that is all about you and how you live your Christian life, this is not it. But if you are looking for a devotional that will make you forget yourself and will leave you in awe of our wondrous God, bowing before Him in worship, then find a used copy of this rare gem of a book online and order it.

"The Shack"

The Shack by William Paul Young is the "buzz" book of the year. Young basically "self-published" the book with his own publisher, Windblown Media, and now it has sold over a million copies, mostly by word of mouth.
The book is a deeply emotional story about why God allows suffering. I believe that Young does an excellent job in answering this question in the novel, which is probably why it has sold so well. Young imagines that a man named Mack who gets a note from God, asking him to return to the shack where his young daughter had been murdered. The man does, and finds answers to his questions and doubts about God's goodness.
However, some things about the book trouble people. I know one church library in Mississippi that has banned the book, and LifeWay Christian Stores sells the book but asks readers to read it with caution. Why?
Read the rest of this review in the first comment below...