“When God Says Go” is tellingly subtitled “Rising to challenge and change without losing your confidence, your courage, or your cool”. This clever alliteration gives an indication of the story within, because although this is a work of nonfiction, it reads more like a collection of personal accounts, threaded together to form a manifesto of sorts about facing and conquering life changes. The truth of the matter is, few of us welcome change, yet we all find ourselves having to deal with it throughout our lives. We like to be in control, and so often when God beckons us to a task, we balk due to fear and uncertainty. Thompson points out a profound truth here, however: “God’s call wasn’t about the people he called—God’s call was about Him. It was and is and ever will be about Him…When we live our life devoted to fulfilling God’s purposes, we stop worrying about ourselves: our success, our reputation, our appearance. We lose ourselves in Him. In His purpose. In His call.”

Building upon this insightful realization, each chapter is about a calling. Ten Biblical characters’ stories are highlighted among twelve chapters, after which a relevant explication in a modern setting ties the past and present together, followed by a corresponding example from the author’s life. Each chapter ends with a “Let’s Go Deeper” section, which includes a Bible reference for further study, a journal prompt, and a prayer prompt in the form of a Bible verse. This thoughtful organization and conversational tone draws readers in and makes “When God Says Go” a wonderful resource for either individual or group study. No matter how great or seemingly small our own calling may be, this book reminds us that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved—and still loves—us.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. ( )