Blessed Be Your Name by Matt & Beth Redman

As a worship leader myself, it's always a great thing to hear the writers of a song go deeper into the meaning of it. "Blessed Be Your Name" does just that and Matt and Beth Redman take us there as they talk about their song of the same name. This is a song I have used many times in worship sets and have seen how it can minister to many people in all kinds of different ways. The lyrics and meaning of the song seek for a response of worship and that response of worship is a choice. We are bound to run in to hard times, times of uncertainty, times of loss, etc. We must choose to believe in the faithfulness and sovereignty of God and learn to say even in the midst of these difficult time, blessed be Your name. I love how he incorporates lines from their song as chapter headings and then a personal story to enhance the chapter. Here are their headings:

1. My Heart Will Choose to Say
2. The Road Marked With Suffering
3. Though There's Pain in the Offering
4. Turn It Back to Praise
5. You Give and Take Away

I like how he also brings in that this song is also meant for times of praise. I had always thought it was written for times of suffering and hardship, but it was great to hear the Redman's say that this song is also meant for praise when things are going well. We have a choice and it's important how we respond. Matt and Beth Redman have written a great resource to help us focus on God so that not only in the times of abundance, but also those times of suffering we can give everything over to Him; He gives and He takes away, but still our heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name. I end with this quote,

"In the life of every worshipper there will come times when worship meets with suffering. And these moments shape what kind of worshippers we will become. Yes, praise be to God for times of abundance and plenty in our lives-those carefree days full of peace and laughter. Yet we praise Him also in the wilderness times-those dark and stormy seasons of the soul when we're left crying out with the psalmist, 'How long, O Lord, how long?' (Psalm 6.3)"

This is a great book for personal study, but also group study. I'm sure it would be great for worship teams. There are even discussion guides for small groups in the back of the book.

Special thanks to Regal Books for providing this complimentary book to read and review.