One Thing: Developing a Passion for the Beauty of God

Have you tried to get a friend to read John Piper but they just couldn't swallow it? Then give them this book. Storms paint an awe-inspiring picture of the God of the Bible from a Reformed-Charismatic-Evangelical perspective that will simply take your breath away. Not Sam's best book (I've read most of them, now), as that would be "Pleasures Evermore", but still a very good, encouraging, and inspiring read.

Taking his cue from Psalm 27:4, which says, "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple," Sam Storms has written a compelling book that will move you to worship and holiness. Chapter one, "`A Christian Theory of Everything,'" lays the God-centered foundation for the rest of the book, drawing heavily from the writings of Jonathan Edwards. Echoing John Piper, Storms says, "The benevolent fullness of divine delight overflows in creation so that we might joyfully share, to God's eternal glory, in God's admiration of himself" (23). The following chapters develop concepts like beauty, grandeur, majesty, and pleasure with insightful exposition of key texts and powerful illustrations from history ("What Handel Saw," chapter four) and nature ("Galactic Grandeur" and "Microscopic Majesty," chapters five and six). Wonder takes on new meaning when you consider the power of God evident in neutron stars, which are quite small, yet so heavy that "one teaspoonful of this matter weighs 3 billion tons . . . the equivalent of stuffing a herd of 50 million elephants in a thimble!" (98). Chapter seven tells the incredible story from Greek mythology of Ulysses, Jason, and the Sirens, illustrating two ways of fighting sin: bind yourself with external duties, the way Ulysses bound himself to his ship in order to resist the seductive, but suicidal song of the Sirens; or, be satisfied with a sweeter song, as Jason overcame the Sirens through the music of Orpheus. Other stories, about figures such as St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, are sprinkled throughout One Thing, making it a delightful read. The final chapter, "Joy's Eternal Increase," contains one of the most stunning portraits of heaven that I've ever read - again drawing on Jonathan Edwards, while expounding Revelation 21, verses 4, 8, and 27. Storms stretches language to its limits in his effort to describe for us the reality of eternal joy. In short, One Thing is true to its title: a powerfully focused invitation to develop a passion for the beauty of God.

Here is another write that "gets it." Sam understands that life here is not about us but about God and His glory. This is a concept that is so lacking in todays culture. He brings you back to the basic. He brings you back to God. He shows you what God has a passion for. Should we not learn and go after the things that God desires? This was my first book that I have read by Sam. I enjoyed it. Yet to me it is sad that other books get more praise and more reviews on here. If you are looking to add passion to you life...Do it in a way that will last. Add passion not based on the world and the lies of the Devil. Add passion based on the thing that God himself delights in...God!

Sam Storms serves us well again with this book! His "Pleasures Evermore" should be the first you read, but then get this book. It is well worth the $10 you will pay to own it. God is breathtaking and Storms takes us to the edge of the cliff to gaze at His beauty. Go ahead and add this to your cart. You won't regret it!