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If you are a Christian woman struggling with pursuing faith in God wholeheartedly, you may want to read Into the Deep: Diving Into a Life of Courageous Faith. Into the Deep is the first book released by author and speaker Lauren Gaskill and it tells of her personal struggle toward a firm faith in Christ rather than one that is fickle. The result of personal hardship, Lauren found herself receiving counseling and was encouraged by her counselor to remember that the Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead was also dwelling in her and able to give her the faith she needed. Over time, Lauren began learning more about who God is according to Scripture and began not only to fall in love with her Savior but to realize she could trust Him because His character never fails.
Lauren was a swimmer for years so often throughout the book, readers will find swimming metaphors representing diving into a deep life of bold faith in Christ. One aspect of Lauren’s writing that I’m especially grateful for is her honesty. I love that she’s vulnerable enough to share with readers that she’s endured anxiety, received counseling, and had moments of weak faith. Rather than appealing to being “messy” like many popular books aimed at Christian women, Into the Deep is different because it offers hope. Rather than staying in the midst of the mess, women are encouraged to delight in who God is according to the Word.
A helpful resource offered in Into the Deep can be found on pages 60-61 in which Lauren provides a chart detailing the names of God and attributes of God with Bible verses to show how who God is can be clearly seen in Scripture. I was greatly encouraged by Lauren’s gospel reminders on page 36 that speak to the false notion that we are being punished by God when we endure trials. Regarding this, Lauren wrote, “Punishment is incompatible with the gospel of Jesus Christ. . . The gospel says that because of Christ’s sacrifice, our sins have been forgiven and forgotten. . . Jesus’ death and resurrection paid all our debts and freed us from the power and penalty of sin. So when we suffer, we can know that it is not for our punishment but for a greater purpose.” Lauren quotes Beth Moore in her book and uses references from The Message paraphrase of the Bible. I’m not a fan of either resource but I also didn’t find them to be theologically harmful as used in Into the Deep. Overall, I enjoyed reading Into the Deep and I’m thankful for Lauren’s fresh perspective on what it looks like to leave behind a faith that is weak and wholeheartedly pursue Jesus. I received Into the Deep compliments of Abingdon Press in exchange for my honest review.
