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Book Review: A Camaraderie of Confidence

Book Review  A Camaraderie of ConfidenceWhen I picked up the recent release of the “The Swans Are Not Silent” series I wondered how these three men would be tied together. In reading the introduction, it became clear. In reading the rest of the book the tie became both convicting and compelling.

In A Camaraderie of Confidence, John Piper features the fruit of unfailing faith in the lives of Charles Spurgeon, George Müller, and Hudson Taylor. Like a surprising dish of familiar ingredients, I really liked what Piper dished up. I want to highlight a few of the common areas and then some personal thoughts about what affected me personally.

These men were contemporaries. All were 19th-century men and products of British culture. But they weren’t just men from the same time, they were men tied to another time. They had relentless grip upon God’s Word. And as a result, they cared deeply for God, his glory, and people. Most people are familiar with Spurgeon and his preaching and writing ministry. Piper shows how the same work ethic and faith that adorned his preaching ministry also attended his work in other areas. At one time he was responsible for sixty-six organizations. Sixty-six! It was like he lived five lives in one. Müller founded an orphanage that served thousands of neglected children, never asked for money, and always had what he needed. He vowed to not begin each day before he was happy in God. Finally, there is Taylor who began the China Inland Mission. This man spent a significant portion of his life away from his family, on a boat, or in China. His mission agency continues to this day.

One of the takeaways from this short book is stewardship. These guys viewed their lives with the understanding that they were not their own but given by God for a purpose. I can’t imagine any of them wasting time or being lazy. I’m sure they did and even struggled with it; however, the facts of what they accomplished cannot be understood apart from seeing how they valued this stewardship of life. They truly redeemed the time. Another aspect of stewardship has to do with the gospel. I think of Spurgeon fighting through depression or Müller with his open Bible, or Taylor on the ships. These guys fought hard to steward the gospel to their own souls and then to others. They were driven to give themselves and the gospel away. Finally, their stewardship led them to action. Whether we are talking about orphanages (Spurgeon and Müller) or the mission field in China (Taylor), their activism was tied to their gospel stewardship.

Good biographies don’t always have to be exhaustive, they just have to contain the nuggets that leave impressions on you. These impressions cause prayerful examination and sometimes repentance. I wondered several times in reading this, “What is my life about?” and “What am I doing each day to contribute to what I want to be and do?” God has continued to use it in a number of ways. This is a good book for all of us to read and prayerfully consider.

It is a short book in a nice hardback cover. Piper, as usual in this series, does a superb job tying them together and introducing us to these swans.

Pick up a discounted copy at Amazon (kindle).

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