Book Summary | The Grand Weaver - How God Shapes us Through the events of our lives

Book Title: The Grand Weaver : How God Shapes us Through the events of our lives 

Author : Ravi Zacharias 

I have listened to many podcast of Ravi Zacharias, listening to his lectures brings a kind of eagerness as he relates the life with scriptures to get engaged for a Purpose.  I didn’t knew that Ravi would be called by God, on the day, I started reading this book “Grand Weaver”.  In the introduction of the book – Grand Weaver, the author simply asks “why has God made it so difficult to believe in him? This can be a common metaphor for many of the believers, especially in the difficult and struggling time.   This book is around Gods design and is mysterious intervention in our lives to know the specific purpose for each one of us.  The authors belief that God intervenes in the lives of everyone and God speaks to us in different ways and at different times. The book is about calling for each of us, designed to fulfil each individual uniqueness. Once you being to see Gods hand in our life, we will know that his workmanship within us and through you was tailor made, just for you. That’s why the title of the book Grand Weaver.

I have tried to summarize these 8 chapters.

Chapter – 1: DNA Matters:

Gods gifts are unique and these gifts even when in flaw has a great message to convey. It depends upon the way one view and treasure the gift. It reminds that each person is unique and special but not flawed.

# Accepting and celebrating the thread of your own personality is the first grasp of the Grand Weaver’s design in your life. You are not a number. He knows you by name. Every stage of the process may not look picturesque, but every detail will come into focus and possess its share of beauty.

Chapter – 2: Your Disappointments:

Every individual born in this earth will undergo pain and suffering and disappointments in their own way. There cannot be a measurement to know who suffered more main and who had highest disappointments. We always feel that we are carrying the heavy burden, compared to others and author narrates a beautiful story of Golden Window.  One can observe the patterns of the disappointments and take three distinct steps in this journey before the pattern becomes visible and we being to see the work of God.

The author suggests three steps in this journey before the pattern becomes visible to see the work of God

1       1.   Involves the heart:

Three things happen to heart: it will grow hard, it will be broken or it will be tender. God the grand weaver seeks those with tender hearts sothat he can put his imprints on them. Your hurts and disappointments are part of that design, to share your heart and the way you feel about reality.  A heart is close communion with God helps carry out through the pain, beyond the power of words.

2.   Involves the Mind

Brain is to the body and the mind is to the soul. Faith is a thing of the mind. The entire financial structure depends on credit, trust, confidence, belief and faith.

3.  Finding the road

Chapter -3: Your Calling Matters

Immense success does not always bring meaning or fulfillment.  A calling is simply God’s shaping of your burden and beckoning you’re to your service to him in the palace and pursuits of his choosing. It is God’s vital purpose in positioning you in life and giving you the vocation and context of your will to serve him with a total commitment to do the job well.

God trained Moses in a palace to use him in a desert. He trained Joseph in a desert to use him in a palace. Some come through winding paths, some through the nicely paved road of privileged birth or influential friends. Others come through the visitation of circumstances with wandering and sudden signposts. Finding one’s calling is one of the greatest challenges in life, especially when one has gifts that fan out in many directions.

One simply cannot know one’s call without coming near to God in prayer.  The purpose of prayer and of God’s call in your life is not to make you number one in the worlds eyes, but to make him number one in your life. The second significant clue - the willingness to be outshone while shining for God. Humility is the touchstone of serving God. The preparation for the call through prayer and the attitude of living out the call in humility, takes the final step.

Chapter – 4: Your Morality Matters:

The fundamental difference between a naturalist worldview and a religious worldview is the moral framework. The first four of the ten commandments have to do with our worship of God, while the next six deals with our resulting responsibilities to our fellow human beings. These commandments base a moral imperative on our spiritual commitment, first towards God and second towards humanity.  Morality is the fruit of your knowledge of God, conscious or otherwise. Morality can build pride as well philanthropy true spirituality will never submit to pride.

Chapter – 5: Your Spirituality Matters:

Jesus challenged three different types of spirituality; Traditionalism, legalism and superstition.

Spiritual seduction is the deadliest of all seductions because it barters away the soul. Truth is the thread that separates true spirituality from false spirituality.

Chapter -6: Your will Matters:

We must take hold of God’s promise to bless us. The gospel declares that the Holy Spirit brings about the new birth and that because of the Spirits power within us, we gain the ability to do God’s will.

Willful walk with the lord – Ask without Pettiness | Being before Doing | Convictions without Compromise | Discipline without Drudgery.

Chapter -7: Your worship Matters

Worship is coextensive with life. Worship is ultimately seeing life Gods way. Three principal realities combine in worship; Mystery, Community and Liturgy.

Chapter – 8: Your Destiny Matters:

The cemetery new or old is not our ultimate destination; it is merely a place in which to remember the symbols of a farewell. The person is not there; only the last memory is there. The respect shown in a cemetery comes not becomes it is home, but because it is where we bid believing loved ones a temporary good bye.

A wonderful book, with a beautiful flow with real life’s stories that connects with present experiences or few heard stories make this awesome read and reflection.