Christian Retailing

Offering hope and comfort for troubled times Print Email
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Monday, 24 August 2009 02:09 PM America/New_York
Daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham explores a God worth trusting

fear not tormorrow bookRuth Graham, daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham, brings a message of hope for troubled times in Fear Not Tomorrow, God Is Already There, releasing next month. Based on a Bible study she presented at her local church titled "Enjoying God," the book aims to expose misconceptions about the Creator through a series of biblical encounters.

"If we want to know if God can be trusted, let's look at how Jesus dealt with people," she told Christian Retailing. "What was it about Him that calmed whatever situation He was in?

One such encounter that stuck with Graham was the account of the woman caught in adultery.

"Certainly there was a woman who had no future," she said. "She is dragged before the Lord full of fear and anxiety. It's interesting to note Jesus' posture. They threw her on the ground. Jesus stoops. Her Creator, the God of the universe, stoops to her level. Isn't that what the story of the incarnation is?"

Graham said she believes too many people have the idea that God doesn’t care, that "He's waiting to zap them." Instead, she proposes that God is the Abba Father.

Graham said that many Christians struggle with performance in trying to please God, but she presents the idea for a God whose love isn't based on what they do.

"We are so consumed with doing," she said. " 'If I'm nicer to my neighbor, then God will be happy with me.' It really has nothing to do with that. God loves us anyway."

Graham hopes the book will help readers sharpen their focus, no matter what the situation is in their lives.

"God is our comfort and our strength," she said. "When everything else is changing, we have to focus on that. When we keep our eyes on Jesus and His character, we can be calm. We don’t have to be anxious and fretting."

Fear Not Tomorrow, God Is Already There will be supported with a national media campaign, including promotions at Graham's conferences.

To order, call 800-858-4109, or visit www.simonandschuster.net.