Here is the autobiography of a man of God. He regards himself as an unorthodox evangelical. That he wears his heart on his sleeve is evident in these memoirs. They are fascinating and thought provoking and they do bring ‘credit to God’ as the last words of the last chapter say. It is always fascinating to read of God’s dealings with one of His servants. What goes into the fashioning of one of God’s vessels? The hereditary elements, forebears, preparation in education, background, leadings of the Lord to this place and that, the strength of character and support of the wife, the problems and sufferings passed through. All these and more David Pawson describes in simple terms. He is in his late seventies now and has a reputation for forthright biblical exposition and is called by many a ‘prophetic bible teacher’. This is an honest book, the ordinariness of the man is revealed and his extraordinariness too! This sounds a contradiction but is surely true of all of God’s men and women. His determination to be faithful to that which He feels the Lord has shown him in the Bible has led to clashes with others. His fallibility he freely admits, his faithfulness he unswervingly confesses, his mistakes and weaknesses are not hidden. The book is refreshing and instructive. There have been challenges in his family life, sorrows to be borne, rejections to be experienced, privileges to be enjoyed. It is remarkable to read of the gracious actions of the Lord towards this man in opening and closing, preventing and protecting, supplying helpers and carrying His servant through all. Although there is clarity of expression in the book and it does not appear that anything is hidden from the reader, anecdotes are spoken of in an understated kind of way so you really have to read the book. It does not shout at you of the greatness of the man or the extraordinariness of the path he has taken, these things you gain as you read with concentration. He is unabashed in mentioning the ‘fans’ of his ministry and his candid self disclosure will doubtless aid in helping all to a more realistic understanding of the greatness of God’s work in the vessels He takes up and uses for His own glory. This book is well worth obtaining and reading and passing around.
