The Works of John Jewel V7: Bishop of Salisbury (1848)

Life is never as smooth as we would sometimes like it to be. We experience periods where God seems so distant and praise hardly flows from our lips. In reaching out to God it feels as if silence is all that we receive. Our questions that we think are so urgent and desperate remain unanswered. At other times our joy is inexpressible and God’s work is so evident in our lives. His love is clear and our purpose unshaken. Almost seamlessly the desert turns into a fertile land and back into a desert again. What remains is our longing to know God as He really is.

If you walk with God for long enough all these emotions will be felt. You will know anger, disappointment, doubt, joy, hope and a host more. God wants us to lay ourselves at His feet in honesty. The purpose of this book is then to sincerely capture our struggles and our joys. It is to remove the pretence that distances us from God and give voice to the cry of our heart. When this veil is pulled away it is then that we come closer to our Father and know Him more intimately.