They Walked with God: 40 Bible Characters Who Inspire Us

Each chapter of this book focuses on a different character from the Bible and begins with a passage from the Bible. Through skilled and inspired writing, this author imparts wisdom and truth with compassion and sincerity. In many of the chapters, I felt like he was speaking directly to me.

A standout chapter for me is the one about Mary Magdalene. The author centered this lesson around Psalm 30:5, Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. This verse has the hard-earned position of being my favorite Bible verse.

Another chapter that spoke to me personally was the one about Noah. Noah was a flood survivor. What “floods” have you survived? I have survived “floods” which did not involve excessive amounts of water. Each “flood” that I have survived has uniquely qualified me to give hope to someone else.

This book blessed me, comforted me and challenged me. I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishing through the Amazon Vine Program.

Max Lucado is a well-respected Christian author and my wife and I have enjoyed several of his books. I selected this one based on previous reading alone, and it has proven to be an outstanding book. We like it so much that we’re planning to order a second copy for my wife’s sister.

This is a little different book than most of the author’s other titles. It is a collection of character studies from the Bible versus a single story or a concept-based devotional. Some of those characters are very well-known and prominent, such as Esther, Moses, Matthew, Jesus, and Isaiah, while others are characters that are easily overlooked such as the two criminals on crosses and the Canaanite woman at the well. While some of these characters have chapters or entire books of the Bible dedicated to their stories, some have only a few verses that document that they ever existed at all. All had their place, and all have something to teach us.

With each character (or characters, as appropriate), the author first presents a passage, or multiple passages, of Scripture to read beforehand. He then presents a narrative that directly or indirectly discusses the passage and specifically the character(s) in question. Finally, he poses some questions for reflection and discussion.

As is typical with Lucado’s other books, the writing is approachable, warm and clear. I’ve always felt like I am listening to a good storyteller when I have read his writing and this book is no different. The questions, as presented, make this a book suitable for discussion too, and with space for writing after each it can be treated very much like a journaling devotional.

This is an outstanding book that focuses on different people in the Bible, some of whom might escape notice due to their relatively brief coverage. These people are there in the Scriptures for a reason, and the author really shines a light on those reasons for the reader.

I grew up reading Max Lucado and this is probably the biggest book of his I've ever gotten. I got it to read through with my mother in law and she enjoyed it. The book isn't as theologically rich as it could be, but it's not terrible. This is accessible for newer believers or people who want to learn more about certain biblical figures.