IT'S JOB'S STORY, BUT IT'S ALSO OUR OWN.In Modern Day Job, author Alanna Matcek offers a compelling perspective on the experiences of faith and suffering. Drawing parallels with the biblical story of Job, Alanna candidly shares her struggles, doubts, and questions about God's goodness amidst trials. Faced with the death of her father, divorce, and significant personal losses, Alanna embarks on a journey of developing a deeper understanding of God's presence in the midst of adversity. She discusses the tension between desiring a "safe" God who prevents suffering and the realization that true growth often comes through enduring hardships.
Written with an honest vulnerability and a relatable perspective, Modern Day Job underscores the value of waiting, resting, and actively engaging with questions of faith and suffering rather than rushing to find quick solutions or escape from pain. It emphasizes the importance of reconciling disenchantment with faith, candor, and courage, seeking to know God's true nature even in our darkest moments. Modern Day Job is a testament to Alanna's ability to weave personal experience with profound spiritual insights, offering readers a roadmap for navigating their own seasons of suffering. This message of hope encourages us to persevere through pain and to reconcile our personal beliefs with the harsh realities of life by introducing them to a God we never thought we wanted to know.
FROM PRE-RELEASE REVIEWS:
"I'm blown away at how engaging your writing is, both style and substance. This seems like a really important perspective the church needs to hear, so thank you for being vulnerable and lending your voice to it. It was very well written and a needed message that resonated deeply with me but I've not heard articulated elsewhere very often. Great read, thank you for pouring your heart into this!" - Scott Monk
"You might think that an entire book on Job is a lot of pages to devote to asking the age-old question of why? Alanna doesn't shy away from the hard parts of the story. She doesn't sugar coat any of Job's struggles or her own. Instead, she leans into them. In the end, why seems to matter so much less than we thought it did. Instead, it is more of a book about who God really is.
This book is a tender companion to anyone who is wounded or suffering. These words teach us how to sit beside instead of offering advice. These words tell a compelling story, but mostly they point to a bigger one. These words offer no platitudes or action steps, but instead extend truth and compassion. They do not provide a way out, instead they offer a partner on your way through. These words do not try to be a shelter in a storm, instead they point us to the beauty in the midst of the storm itself and a promise that you are not alone in the middle of it.
This book describes a God who is so much bigger and richer than the one we might think we want. It is something I am still reckoning with. It is a beautiful reckoning, some would even call it a re-enchantment." - Michelle Hurst
"These are really good and very applicable truths for everyone. I think it's well-written and speaks truth in a compassionate way that will help others put words to their feelings and thoughts." - Sonja Lovell
