Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Revised Edition) by John Piper

by Stan Britton

July 3, 2012

@stanbritton

I read the first edition of this book while a student at a private, Christian university. My pretense prior to reading Dr. Piper's work was that God is a distant and unapproachable tyrant who wants nothing to do with me but was willing to remedy the problem of my sin by sending His Son, Jesus. That pretense vanished after reading chapter 1 of this book. As I began the Revised Edition, all those feelings came rushing back. Remembering how this book challenged those pretenses and feelings was an awesome moment.

"The chief end of man is know God and enjoy Him forever. Dr. Piper builds this book upon the answer to Question #1 of the Westminster Catechism. Indeed, the chief end of man is know God (pursue Him) and to enjoy Him. That is, to find uttermost joy in the works of God and in His character. Piper journeys chapter by chapter through the works of God in humanity and gives us a staunchly Biblical worldview on this idea of Christian Hedonism.

If you are looking for something to challenge your spiritual walk, I highly recommend this book. Perhaps you are in need of something to remove the spiritual scales from your eyes, this book will prove to be a wellspring for your soul. In reading this book, I believe you will discover a new depth and understanding of God's delight in us and for us.