Can God Use Me?
By Robert Amess
Hodder & Stoughton. 182 pages. £6.99
ISBN 0 340 74634 3
If Paul had written this book it might begin: to the unlikely bunch of flawed and seemingly unsuitable saints who can be used by God. In fact, Amess's style reminds me a little of Paul: bold, honest, relevant and thoroughly soaked in the practical wisdom of someone with much experience and much passion to see God's people free to bring him glory.
Undoubtedly the most encouraging and powerful aspect of the book is that this isn't just a bit of psychological positive stroking which panders to our angst-stricken age, but is totally driven by Scripture. Each chapter explores the life of a different Old Testament character with insight and humour and then skilfully interwoven with pertinent current day situations. Amess names sin for what it is and declares that he believes God to be rightly judging our nation. But he is uncompromising in the assertion that biblical characters had the same doubts, weaknesses and sins as us but God still used them: not just in minor ways but significantly. He has used them, and he can use us. This is what he delights to do.
