Do you ever feel discouraged, frustrated, weary, disenchanted, cynical or empty? It could be that you’ve been struggling with sin, feeling far from God as you endeavour to live his way. In his book, ‘Gentle and Lowly, The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers’, Dane Ortlund tenderly brings us back to the unchanging character of Christ.

The book explores Christ’s tender heart, how he deals gently with us, his ability to sympathise, what it means that he is Lord, the richness of his mercy, and how he will love us to the end. It brings us back to the Bible and also includes bite sized reflections from many old Puritan writers.

There is so much depth of wisdom and beauty in the Puritans’ writing and Ortlund makes it accessible. I found it so encouraging to hear the voices of Christians throughout the ages wrestling with the same issues we face today.

My friend and I read a chapter each week and then chatted about it together. This would be an encouraging read at any stage in your Christian life, and whether you’ve had a tough time recently or not. The reality of life in this broken world is that we will all face times of struggle with sin or suffering, and this book helps us develop a firm foundation in knowing Christ, understanding the beauty of his love, and the wonder of eternity that we look forward to.

To coincide with our annual conference, EQUIP Picks are 10 great reads, chosen and reviewed by the EQUIP Women Team for women.

EQUIP21 Picks will be available for a limited time online via our ministry partner, Reformers Bookshop.

A percentage of the sales from books bought via the above link will support our CMS missionary, M.

Meet Sarah Cameron

Sarah looks after our social media feeds. She lives with her husband Gus and three children in one of the most culturally diverse suburbs in south west Sydney and enjoys getting to know women from different cultures and opening God’s word with them.