66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God That Invites You into His Story by Larry Crabb

66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God That Invites You into His Story Reviews

• 
  Margaret Metz

  I wish this book had been done more like "Conversations With Larry About the Bible" instead of him pretending to be God. That made me more than a little uncomfortable ~ especially when he presupposes we can't understand the Bible for ourselves ~ and can't make sense of it without him telling us what it means. That worries me.
  
  Especially with the ... tone some of his examples and passages take. I am all for helping people relate to the Bible and giving them personal stories and examples they can understand and are relevant to their life. I don't pretend to be God though.
  
  I have a hard time with many of the speeches that Dr. Crabb presents as from God and that prevented me from enjoying what was a good concept. The book was also well written.
• 
  Jon Gill

  Last fall, I had a conversation with my Mom, who is both a strong Christian and a licensed marriage and family therapist. I told her how I was battling many things on many fronts: grief and pain on one front, weariness at a crazy unsustainable schedule on another, and to top it off, an ongoing crisis of faith (I have since learned the more useful and hopeful term “deconstruction”). She has always been a faithful reader of the Bible, and I have always struggled. I’ve struggled to do much of anything regularly, but even moreso with reading the Bible; in contrast, she’s one of the praying-est moms I know, with her own prayer closet “war room” (before that was even a movie). I mentioned that the Bible had kind of “dried up” for me; that even though I was still a Christian I had not been able to “get anything” from the Bible because I was in the middle of re-thinking all the ways I’d read it before, or how it had been used in ways I now questioned.
  
  In what has always been her signature move, she gave me a book.
  
  I will admit that I was skeptical at first. Since I was/am in the midst of a deconstruction of this particular Evangelical way of reading the Bible, I was uncertain that an Evangelical book purporting to contain “the message” of each biblical book would be helpful for me at all. Some of the problems I’ve had with the Evangelical/literalist reading of the Bible have been (a) the genocidal and familial violence and immorality described, condoned, and even sometimes commanded by God in the OT, specifically in Genesis through Judges; and (b) the condoning of certain practices such as slavery in BOTH the OT and NT. While I knew this book wasn’t going to dive into the details of many particular stories, I was curious how some of these themes would be taken. Would it quote chapter and verse and decide that THAT was what “the point” of those particular books were? Would it rub me the wrong way? Would its 1st-person voicing of God come across as more hyper-prophetic “thus-saith-the-Lord” stuff, or would it actually have something useful to share with me?
  
  I previewed the book cautiously, turning first to the chapter on Judges, where we see tons of immorality and violence being repeatedly described, condoned, and even attributed to God’s chosen ones. Then, I turned to Philemon, a short Pauline epistle that was often used to condone that slavery was not inherently bad, and was literally used to justify things like the Fugitive Slave Act in 19th century America.
  
  I was pleasantly surprised by the portions on these books. It was refreshing to see that his interpretation of Judges was not in trying to explain away the weird and violent periods of a nascent Israelite nation, but that the early Israelites got the whole idea of obedience and blessings wrong, just as we still do too much today. They equated their prosperity with his blessing, and only “repented” when their prosperity was taken away. There is a “deeper problem” in us, which makes our own comfort and happiness a higher priority than a right relationship with God and each other. His take on Philemon was not about slavery but about mercy and justice, influenced by Martin Luther’s exposition (“we are all of us Onesimi!”) that we have all wronged our master and need an intermediary (in this case, Paul) to return to Him. I was intrigued with Crabb’s approach, and I decided to give it a chance. When I got to the Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and several others, certain messages of faith and hope really jumped out to me. I don’t think I would have had the same reactions (at this moment in my life) from reading the biblical texts themselves. This approach back toward scripture reading was the right thing for me at this time. Overall, I’m glad I read it, even if not everything spoke to me with equal strength.
  
  This will be a helpful book for some, though it may not connect to everyone. It’s quite long for a “devotional,” but that is how I used it, and I think how it is best used. You may get tired of its style after a while, but I applaud the effort. I have seen comments from some reviewers that even seemed offended at his use of voicing God in the 1st person, but honestly I did not have much of a problem with it. There were a few triggers for me where our differing theologies showed up, such when “God” overtly says things like “I wrote this book to say…” Part of what my own faith journey has included has been letting go of this “God wrote the Bible” attitude that, in my opinion, takes away from what the Bible really is and what its writers were saying to and about God.
  
  I think the Bible should start conversations, both between ourselves as human beings, and with God through prayer and meditation. This second one has been harder for me lately, and so the format of this book actually helped facilitate that a bit more. Crabb’s “conversations” with God in this book still reflect great study of each book: weeks and weeks of commentaries, sermons, books, etc. – but not for the purpose of “teaching” (which is more what I expected), but merely for conversing with God. Through the conversations, I was able to tell many places where my own struggles matched the author’s, and plenty of other places where we weren’t necessarily struggling with the same thing. He is at times brutally honest with his own struggles, selfishness, whininess, entitlement, pride, self-loathing, and frustration. I think most American Christians struggle with these things, if we’re really honest, even if it doesn’t look the same for all of us at all times. It was a very good model of being honest and open with God, like the Psalmists, or Habbakkuk, or Job, or – honestly, so much of the Bible models this kind of struggling conversation. If you’ve never really gotten down and dirty with how you really feel about God and the Bible, I encourage you just to do it. Don’t worry, he’s not going to smite you for it.
  
  Don’t mistake this book for a systematic theology, or even really a biblical commentary. The message we hear in this book is the one that Crabb heard when he talked through the Bible with God. I definitely feel that God meets us wherever we are. If I had tried to write a book this way (or even just kept a devotional journal), mine would look different from Crabb’s, and different from yours, etc. And that’s OK. In fact, I would argue it’s exactly what the Bible is.
  
  He has a one-year plan that would have you reading each chapter plus its relevant Bible text in one year. I finished in about 5-6 months because I didn’t read most of the biblical texts along with it. While I would suggest making your own plan for reading (or at least referencing) the relevant books of the Bible along with each entry, you could also read this as a reference itself – a way to apply whatever book of the Bible you’re reading.
  
  I will say that I was sometimes briefly turned off by his writing style. Not, as I’ve already said, by the voicing of God, but just by his running metaphors and flowery, poetic languages. And there’s 400 pages of that. He repeatedly uses the metaphors of the “dance” and the “party” and the “song,” which are sometimes quite nice, but which by the end have become a little overused. There were other things, however, that really helped see things in a useful way – framing a lot of our own struggles as version of selfishness and entitlement helped me see how some of those things have crept in. I have observed at other times that nearly all sins are actually versions of selfishness, rather than God’s character of selflessness. And Crabb’s descriptions of “relational sin” was a fairly new concept that was pretty useful coming from a counselor. Much of our trouble with other people and with God comes in the form of relating badly. When we relate to others in selfless love, we see its life-giving nature.
  
  Here are a few nuggets I pulled from the summary chapter that had periodically jumped out at me (the most memorable are in bold):
  “You’ll know My plan is working when you realize you’re beginning to hate your selfishness more than your unhappiness.” (Judges)
  “You should be surprised by blessings. Instead, you’re stunned by judgment.” (Judges)
  “Great people are people who love greatly.” (1 Kings)
  “Real trust develops in the dark.” (2 Chronicles)
  “You are not in control of either getting or keeping the blessings you desire.” (Job)
  “When nothing makes sense and you wonder if I even exist…bring your honest questions to Me. With others who struggle and cry and laugh, bring all of yourself to Me, always.” (Psalms)
  “Doing right doesn’t always make things go right.” (Ecclesiastes)
  “You will not return to the days of naïve innocence…Life will become difficult. Dreams will shatter. I call you to imagine what lies further ahead. A new kind of happiness is coming.” (Daniel)
  “Real worship generates real change.” (Amos)
  “I will never cooperate with your desire to protect yourself from enemies you refuse to love.” (Jonah)
  “Don’t make the mistake of so many whose desire for happiness becomes a demand…Don’t live to feel full. Life from the truth to a fullness that you will one day fully enjoy.” (Colossians)
  “Grace is not for beautiful people. They see no need of it.” (Titus)
  “You must remember that you have wronged Me more than others have wronged you. Deal with them as I deal with You.” (Philemon)
  ”You taste the reality of real life every time you love others for My sake and theirs.” (1 John)
  “My Son lived the real life I call you to live, divine energy visible in common humanity…Is divine love energizing your attitude and the words you say?” (2 & 3 John)
  
  The note from 1 John reminds me of the most truthful line from the musical Les Miserables: “To love another person is to see the face of God!”
  
  This book isn’t perfect, or perfect for everyone, but in the end, I’m glad I read it. It helped me work back toward devotions with the Bible (still on the way), and its tone was full of truth and encouragement. It reminded me of several truths:
  1. Life is not all about me.
  2. I too often think it is.
  3. Learning to love rightly is learning who God is, and vice versa.
  4. The Bible may be ancient, but even an ancient conversation with an infinite God can bring wisdom for today.
  5. Listen to your mom. She knows what’s best.
  
  
• 
  Katie

  Disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book courtesy of Thomas Nelson.
  
  If this book were presented as a conversation with Dr. Larry Crabb, rather than a conversation with God, I would probably have given it a 4, perhaps even 5 star review. I enjoy reading biblical interpretation from various perspectives and sources, and I certainly would have been interested in reading Crabb's personal thoughts and observations on each of the 66 books of the bible. And if nothing else, such a project deserves respect if only for its scope and ambition.
  
  However as it is, the book takes the form of a series of imaginary conversations between God Himself and a faithful human who is trying to make sense of scripture. This means, necessarily, that for the sake of the format, Crabb puts his thoughts and interpretations of each biblical text into quotation marks and makes them come out of the mouth of the Almighty. To say the very least, this made me...uncomfortable. While I cannot fault a religious leader for having his own very strong opinions on the meaning of scripture, I can and DO fault him for literally putting words into the mouth of God!
  
  I was especially disappointed at how little light was shed on the more troublesome texts of the bible given the number of pages spent interpreting them. For instance, I recently finished reading the book of Joshua and was troubled, trying to make sense of the tribal warfare and extreme violence contained in those pages. I hoped this book would give me some keen insights as to what place those events might take in the biblical "big picture." I was shocked to read that Crabb, as God, says that what we are to gain from Joshua is that our worst enemies are, as Oprah might say, "inside ourselves." But that's ridiculous! Every Jewish and Christian source I have ever read regards Joshua as a book of history. Whether one takes it literally or as a biased but basically truthful account or a completely reconstructed inaccurate history, it is a history, not an allegory for some kind of postmodern self-help process! If Crabb had said this as Crabb, I would have fervently disagreed, but had respect for his opinion. Since he says it as the character of GOD, it's just simply outrageous.
  
  I wish I could give this book a stronger recommendation, because I adore book-by-book biblical commentaries and am always on the look-out for good ones to read and recommend. But sadly, this book was a real disappointment.
• 
  Katie

  Some nice thoughts on the Bible, but the way he wrote the book as part journal, part response as God was very off-putting. I would have enjoyed this better if it was titled "Dr. Larry Crabb's Thoughts on How to See Jesus in Each Book of the Bible", which also would have cut the book in half by removing the weird back and forth narrative
• 
  Karen & Gerard

  This is one of the most unique books and profound books I have come across.  I loved it!  I am so happy I won this book in a giveaway because I found myself underlining something in just about every chapter.  It is like a summary and commentary on the Bible but is written in such a way that held my attention and made me eager to read more.  The writing is incredible because the whole book is written as a conversation between God and a man about each of the books of the Bible.  So often, the man is asking the same questions I have about the different books.  Through “God’s” part of the conversation, the author shows how all the books come together to point to Jesus and God’s plan to get people to His “big party (heaven).”    
   
  I took my time reading this one since I own it, and because there is so much to comprehend and chew on.  It is very thought provoking and will be treasured as a great reference book in my library.  I plan to re-read the chapters that relate to the book of the Bible I am currently reading.  I recommend this to anyone who is interested in spiritual things or who has questions concerning things in the Bible. 
  
• 
  Robin Sampson

  Crabb that takes you through each book of the Bible giving his opinion as to what message he believes God is trying to get across in each book. It is written as a conversation between God and the author. He uses first person for both. There are seven parts representing different sections of the Bible.
  
  Crabb questions God a lot (Crabb calls it whining). He asks of God about many things that some Christian don’t dare ask. But these are questions many do ask. Crabb gives his understanding in the answers. This is not the Bible, it is the conclusions of a man who loves God and has sought Him diligently for many years.
  
  I relate well to Crabb we both have a different view of God in our later years (more trinitarian based). Reading this t book with the Bible helps us see God in a more personal way. It won’t answer all questions, may leave you with more but it provoke you to study, and that is a good thing.
• 
  Joy Ellis

  66 Love Letters by Dr. Larry Crabb was given to me by the publisher Thomas Nelson, by way of BookSneeze to read and give a review by way of my blog.
  
  As I started reading this book, I had a very hard time getting into it. It was hard for to read it as a conversation between God and Dr. Crabb. While it isn't unusual to have a conversation with God, I just thought to myself that I wouldn't necessarily ask the same questions.
  
  I also thought this book was extremely long. It took me a lot longer to read than what I thought it would. That may be because at times, I found myself not agreeing with what Dr. Crabb said he felt like God was telling him.
  
  While I can understand why Dr. Crabb wrote the book, it isn't one that I would recommend to others.
• 
  Nicole

  This is the second book that I have read by Crabb. I acknowledged, prior to reading this book, that suffering is a part of the Christian life. But Crabb stretched my thinking and made me wonder if it is not a much bigger part than I previously thought. This is where the book really challenged me and also, at times, disheartened me. Still, I think Crabb presents some valuable thoughts that need to be heard in the church today.
• 
  Teressa

  Though I'm in process of reading this book I can't help but review it now. I've been reading the bible, listening to sermons from it and had discussions about its contents for years but this book with it's warmth, emotional depth and conversational tone between the author and God is like a cold drink of water in the middle of the desert. Guaranteed to be on my top ten forever!
• 
  Darla

  With all of the individual Bible quotes floating around it can be easy to forget that the 66 books of the Bible tell a cohesive story. Author Larry Crabb has crafted a narrative to help us see the scripture as 66 love letters to us from God. It is the kind of book you digest slowly. I would suggest that if you are following a program to read the Bible through in a year that you also spend time in each corresponding letter in this book at the same time. I've been using an app called YouVersion this year. Each day's reading contains an Old Testament reading, a New Testament reading, and verses from Psalms or Proverbs. A devotional is included that ties them all together -- every time.
  
  Every verse in the holy scriptures is God-breathed and intentional. God has had a plan in place that transcends time. As Larry Crabb notes in his summary for the book, So God's story goes something like this: connection, wickedness, estrangement, judgment, reconciliation. His people will ultimately party with Him. What is the chief end of man? Asks the Westminster Shorter Catechism. To glorify God and enjoy Him forever is the answer. Amen.
• 
  Jane Glen

  This is outstanding. Through the 66 books of the Bible (love letters), Crabb traces God's story and His love for us throughout. Crabb uses the format of dialogue between God and himself where Crabb is never afraid to ask the hard questions or to confront his doubts and frustrations. If you haven't read the Bible, but would like to know more about how it all fits together, or if you're curious about the stories it tells, this would be a great starting point. Again, on a personal level, I was challenged over and over again in my Christian walk, as I was earlier in Inside Out and Shattered Dreams; both by this same author. Highly recommended, but not a quick read.
• 
  Sherikroeker

  This is a tough one to rate.....for content, I could easily give it 5+ stars. Part of me wants to tell every believer I know about this book and encourage them to read it. But it comes with one huge caveat: I did not like the format. I can see why the author chose it, but I found it incredibly disturbing how he spoke as God, and it often took me out of the message of the book and made me very uncomfortable. I think he could have written the same book, all in his own words (and much shorter) and gotten across the same message. Again, his interpretation of what the Bible’s message to us is, is incredible. Foundational. I just wish he’d gone about it a different way.
• 
  Julia Zimmer

  I'm just honestly shocked that he writes it in a dialogue. With that he basically says that whatever he interprets is right. I don't know if it just me but I just can't get over it that he pretends to know what god is saying all the time and puts it in definitive words with no room for the author's mistakes. The interpretation itself I find mostly logical, but the way he puts it I just don't think is right.
• 
  Aleena Grosjean

  In my top 5 must read books as a Christian!!!! This has opened up my eyes to so much and given me a new love for His Word. I can't wait to start my yearly Bible reading having this information to guide me. I am excited and overwhelmed by His love and His love letters to me. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book!!!!
• 
  Glenn

  4.5 Stars. This is a very good book to read to understand each book of the Bible. Some people might not like the 'conversation with God' style of writing, but I found that it helped. I found great insights that helped me understand God's Word more - highly recommended read.
• 
  Linda

  stopped at pg 245
  
• 
  Michele Goane

  Excellent! I was able to see the Bible as a story that fits into my modern-day life.
• 
  P. E.

  Recommended by my mother, this book turned my worldview upside down. Gaining a successful life here on earth is not what I was born for. Relational love and forgiveness, like the way Jesus lived, is the real purpose. My short review does nothing for the real meat of the book. Read it for yourself.
• 
  Victor Gentile

  I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Larry Crabb, on our radio show "Kingdom Highlights", for his new book, "66 Love Letters" A Conversation With God That Invites You Into His Story published by Thomas Nelson.
  
  The Bible has been called a book of 66 love letters as there are 66 books in the Bible and Dr. Crabb has expanded on that idea with his new book. He tells us of when he and his wife used to communicate before they were married they would write letters to each other and how he knew that she loved him was that she would put an upside down stamp in the corner as their secret code. Late one night when Dr. Crabb could not sleep he asked God what the Bible was all about and God told him that the Bible was God's story of His love for mankind.
  
  Dr. Crabb was fascinated by this new concept and he then asked God to give him bullet points for each book of the Bible which God did. In "66 Love Letters" Dr. Crabb takes us on a journey through the Bible as he looks at each book and the components of each book and shows us why the events of that book declare the great love of God for mankind. For instance, in the book of Genesis, Dr. Crabb explores the events of each of the patriarchs and the tower of Babel and shows us new meaning behind each story.
  
  "66 Love Letters" is a book that needs to be read over a period of time one chapter at a time and then needs to be thought about and considered. Then the book needs to be put away and, after a period of time, needs to be brought back out and read again, chapter by chapter, day by day. God has much to say to us and we need to take to the time to hear Him. We can do exactly that in the pages of this book. Thank you Dr. Crabb of writing this book!
  
  If you missed the interview for "66 Love Letters" and would like to listen to it please go to
  www.kingdomhighlights.org where it is available On Demand.
  
  To listen to 24 Christian music please visit our internet radio station
  www.kingdomairwaves.org
  
  Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
• 
  Trevor

  Larry Crabb, renowned Christian psychologist and best-selling author, has written a book with which he hopes to alleviate a growing problem that he sees in the church today.
  
  What's the problem?
  Lack of biblical comprehension. He writes, "Most Christians don't know the Bible well" (p. xix).
  
  What's the cause?
  Fragmented reading regimens. He writes, "It is not a good idea to feel inspired and be instructed by a couple of good Bible lessons and assume we know what need to join the story of God" (p. xx).
  
  What's the solution offered in this book?
  The full picture. He writes, "My purpose in writing this book is to help you see ... the picture that comes into focus when all sixty-six pieces of the biblical jigsaw puzzle are fitted together" (p. xx).
  
  Does he succeed?
  Mostly yes. The book consists of imaginary conversations between Crabb and God that revolve around the point of the Bible. The chapters are clear and succinct, not too long and not too short to be read comfortably in one sitting. Even so, Crabb encourages readers not to rush ahead, but instead to ponder each chapter slowly and throughly. While reading, I found myself thinking, "This would be a great text for small group discussion." There's also a free study guide which goes along with the book available from Crabb's website ([...:]) which can certainly help the book to be used for such a purpose.
  
  The best part?
  Each of the 66 books of the canonical Bible are given a 2-3 sentence summary. That part alone is worth the price of the book.
  
  Note:
  His starting point tips his conservative theological bias, in that he views the texts that make up the Bible as "Love Letters" from God to you (whoever/wherever/whenever you may be). For instance, he asks, "God, why did You write Genesis? ... God, why did You write Revelation? Come to think of it, why did You write each of the sixty-six books" (p. xvi)?
  
  disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
• 
  Mike

  "From God To You, 66 Love Letters" by Dr. Larry Crabb, is truly just that, a collection of Love Letters from God to you. Dr. Larry Crabb has taken each of the 66 Books of the Bible, and broken them down into easily understandable text, so that the lay person can fully understand exactly what God is saying to us through His story. Starting with Genesis and continuing on through Revelation, each book in broken down into a Love Letter as though God is speaking directly to you as you read it. In fact, I'm sure God is right there with you and me, as we read and realize what is meant in each and every letter. If you have ever taken on the right to read the Bible, as I have and do, this wonderful collection is a great study tool that will enhance and should be in every Christen library. I am currently re-reading the Bible in chronological order, and when I find something I haven't or don't understand, "66 Love Letters", makes it clear. An excerpt from the book states "Learn To Hate Sin More Than Suffering." This comes from Love Letter Six: Joshua. In this letter God is explaining the battles we must fight within ourselves so that we conquer everything that opposes God within us. The entire book gives the reader the opportunity to get things right with God. The previous statement is just one example of what you'll find when reading "66 Love Letter." Are you someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? By reading these Love Letters you can gain the understanding of each of the 66 Books of the Bible, and that can only mean that each of us can get closer to God. This collection could also be a tool for helping to bring someone else closer to God and possibly allow them to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. Now wouldn't that be wonderful? Dr. Larry Crabb has done a spectacular job of breaking things down and I for one applaud his efforts. Bravo Dr. Crabb, and thank you.
• 
  Ian

  I've always considered the Bible to be a love story. This book helps elucidate the essence of God's love for us in each of the 66 letters of the Bible.
  
  I loved it.
  
  I took on a challenge to read the entire Bible during Lent just passed. Crabb's book had been sitting on my shelf for a year or so untouched. It kinda jumped out at me as I dived into the Bible reading challenge.
  
  As I moved quickly through the Word, what became very clear to me was God's absolute love for us. He is madly in love with His creation, and will do anything to have us choose Him. This culminated in Jesus living, dying on the Cross and being resurrected. So working through Crabb's love letters was a perfect fit for where my mind was at.
  
  Certainly this is not a commentary nor concordance but doesn't try to be that. There is definitely room for 66 Love Letters to sit alongside commentaries and such like to provide a different insight into the Word.
  
  Not everyone is going to get it and may find it a poor cousin to more literal interpretations.
  
  I don't profess to know the Bible well. What this marvellous book has left me with is an insatiable thirst to know the heart of God and to better understand His love story that we are all party too. As Crabb says in his introduction: "We try to reach the heart of God without listening to the Word of God." God's revealed His heart to us, in 66 love letters.
  
  I'm not sure how'd this book would go if you weren't reading through the Bible simultaneously. It took Crabb 3.5 years to write it so he obviously spent a lot of time both studying the Word, other references and seeking God's wisdom on each book. I particularly enjoyed how Crabb used other influential authors like CS Lewis to add additional insights.
  
  The epilogue at the end will be a useful quick reference guide as it summarises each of the 66 letters into one paragraph.
  
  Highly recommended.
  
• 
  Jason Kanz

  I know several people who have been influenced by this book, 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites you into His Story (2009). I would add myself to that list. 66 Love Letters is essentially a series of "conversations" between God and Larry Crabb about what God is saying in each book of the Bible. In preparing this book, Crabb spent 5 years writing, which is a long time in the publishing world. For each book, he wrestled through what it seemed God was trying to say. He would spend time in commentaries, time in prayer, and time in the Word. The end product was a unique commentary of sorts on what Crabb believes God is trying to tell us. Each book tells a story that is a part of a larger story of God and how He loves His people.
  
  Dr Crabb has said that he would prefer that people not try to master what he writes, to gain intellectual knowledge, but that they would ponder what he writes. In truth, I have moved much faster through his other books than I did through this one, which probably took me three months to complete. Even at that, there is so much here, I feel like I would gain just as much by reading it again and I may do so.
  
  66 Love Letters would be a good book for anyone who wants to try to understand what God is saying more deeply. Certainly, this is not on par with Scripture and Crabb would never imply that it is, but it may allow you to see with fresh eyes.
• 
  Barb Terpstra

  I really love this book, and began reading it without following the author's intent, which is to read the book in the Bible first. As always, I am too eager to find out if I'm going to like a book or not.
  
  Each chapter in "66 Love Letters" deals with a chapter in the Bible, beginning in Genesis and ending Revelation. The intent is for the reader to read the chapter in the Bible, and then read the corresponding love letter, or conversation with God. As stated previous, I was eager to get into this book, without getting into THE Book. What I have found, as I'm moving along, is that "66 Love Letters" makes me want to get into God's book, so I can have the deeper understanding that the author is going for. Therefore, I am starting over and will begin again, reading my Bible chapter before reading the "Love Letter" chapter.
  
  I will tell you, the conversations in the book are written with such love,and they feel so authentic to me, feelings I myself may have, and responses from God that are so encouraging that I can highly recommend this book to you.
  
• 
  Reba

  So, I decided to read this book slowly, hoping to really absorb it's content and not just read it to get through it. I planned on reading one chapter/letter a day, so I guess it was kind of like a devotional for me. I did not read the Bible chapter along with the book chapter, and I wonder if that would have strengthened my experience. There were parts of this book I really liked, parts that resonated with me and there were parts that I didn't care for. I'm not sure what I think about the author's "conversations" with God. Actually, since I just put conversations in parentheses, I guess that's pretty telling. Some just seem so contrived and well, cheesy, others genuine and heartfelt. I'm also not sure I'm totally on board with seeing the 66 chapters of the Bible as a linked chain, telling one cohesive story.