The Gift of Grace

I have read Max Lucado's books for decades, so I was very excited about reading The Gift for All People: Thoughts on God's Great Grace. When I began reading the first chapter, I thought the words sounded familiar --like I had read it before. Upon further inspection, I had read it before. Nearly thirty years ago. At least parts of it, anyway. The Gift for All People is not a completely new book, but rather a collection of snippets pulled from a number of other books Lucado wrote during the 1980s and 1990s, repackaged for a new audience. 

The snippets are classic Max Lucado pieces arranged beautifully into four major sections: The Gift of a Savior, Ransom for Sinners, Bounteous Grace, and The Choice. Each little snippet is only two to three short pages long, so each one is a very easy read. The problem for me was that it left me wanting more. It was a bit like being presented with a platter of tiny, but delicious hors d'oeuvres when you were anticipating a full entree. However, many people enjoy hors d'oeuvres. They enjoy reading just a brief devotional thought because that's all they have time for in their busy day. 

This little book might make an excellent gift for a believer who wants a collection of beautifully written devotional thoughts about grace. If you've read any of Max Lucado's books, then you are well aware that although the snippets pulled from his other books may be short, all of them are very full of imagery, powerful, and inspiring. 

However, judging from the final chapter of this book as well as the title, I believe this collection was designed to be a gift for someone who is seeking to learn more about Jesus, who He is, and what is this thing called grace. The final piece in the book is called "God's Destiny for Your Life," and it includes an open invitation for readers to begin to follow Jesus and to accept His gift of grace.

Lucado writes, "With all of my heart, I urge you to accept God's destiny for your life. I urge you to get on board with Christ. ... Would you let him save you? This is the most important decision you will ever make. Why don't you give your heart to him right now. Admit your need. Agree with his work. Accept his gift" (126). But he doesn't stop with just issuing an invitation. Lucado goes on to help a new believer know what his/her next steps are. "These three steps --baptism, Bible reading, and belonging to a church --are essential steps in your faith" (127). 

If you know someone who has not yet experienced the grace of Jesus, consider gifting them with this little book. Consider who in your life might benefit from a gift of a little grace. It is the gift for all people. Max Lucado's The Gift for All People is available here. 

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.